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Category: Eurozone

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia signs revolving credit facility with its pricing mechanism linked to the company’s sustainability targets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia signs revolving credit facility with its pricing mechanism linked to the company’s sustainability targets

    • Nokia’s financing strategy maintains steadfast link with its sustainability strategy with EUR 1.5 billion multicurrency revolving credit facility.
    • New facility builds on previous work in this area including sustainability-linked guarantee facility and sustainable finance framework.
    • Pricing mechanism linked to reduction of Nokia’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

    26 June 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia announced today the recent signing of a EUR 1.5 billion five-year multicurrency revolving credit facility (“RCF”) with two one-year extension options, and continues with a sustainability pricing mechanism linking the margin of the RCF to two key RCF sustainability targets outlined below. The margin of the RCF will increase or decrease depending on Nokia’s progress towards reaching these targets. The new RCF will replace the EUR 1,412 million RCF agreement dated 18 June 2019.

    Nokia’s key RCF sustainability targets include annual target observation periods and dates, with RCF pricing adjustments impacting the following year:
    Reduction of absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”)
    Reduction of absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions.

    Nokia’s financing strategy is linked to its sustainability strategy and today’s announcement builds on previous sustainable finance activities. These activities include linking the margin of Nokia’s revolving credit facility to Nokia’s sustainability targets in 2019, Nokia’s first sustainability-linked guarantee facility in 2022, as well as the launch of Nokia’s sustainable finance framework in 2023.

    Nokia is committed to reducing its Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions. Nokia has a Net-Zero target of 2040 which is approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), ensuring that Nokia’s greenhouse gas emissions targets and paths towards those targets are independently validated.

    Further information on the detailed operational approach Nokia has taken to reducing GHG emissions can be found in the Net-Zero climate transition plan detailing Nokia’s commitments and targets as well as the actions being taken to decarbonize in selected scopes. In March 2025, Nokia published its 2024 Annual Sustainability Statement, prepared for the first time in accordance with the provisions of the newly applicable EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and with the requirements of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards.

    “We’re delighted with the strong support and commitment from our key banking partners in this refinancing transaction that connects our financing strategy with our sustainability priorities,” said Marco Wirén, Chief Financial Officer, Nokia.

    “Nokia’s sustainability approach is centered on protecting and creating value for our company, and our stakeholders. We are committed to our climate transition plan, which is built to deliver efficiency and innovations in our value chain. Continuing to link the pricing of the revolving credit facility to our science-based climate goals is a strong step forward demonstrating our commitment to our sustainability targets,” said Subho Mukherjee, Vice President of Sustainability, Nokia.

    Resources and additional information
    Web Page: Nokia Sustainability
    Web Page: Nokia’s journey to Net-Zero
    Statement: Sustainability Statement

    About Nokia                         
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: press.services@nokia.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: King of Spain welcome address to the #FFD4 in Sevilla, Spain | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    “Good evening, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Vice-Presidents and leaders of international and multinational organisations, authorities, ladies and gentlemen. The Queen and I are honoured and want to extend you our warmest welcome to the Royal Alcazar of Seville and to this courtyard of the maidens, the Spanish Patio de las Doncellas. And let me tell you, it doesn’t get warmer than this.

    Now it’s pleasant, but as you know, the heat today was very, very strong. This setting is a magnificent example of everything the city represents, a true melting pot of origins, cultures and schools of thought, whose openness and conviviality are not just outward traits, they are a genuine way of viewing the world. Allow me to recall here the words attributed to Averroes, the 12th century philosopher from Al-Andalus, born in Cordoba, not too far from here, which are regrettably as appropriate now as they were so many centuries ago.

    Back then, he said, ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hatred and hatred leads to violence. This is the equation, end of quote. I am sure you will agree that this equation, both simple and worrisome, can explain some of the conflicts of our time.

    It can also partly explain the erosion of the multilateral world. Dear friends, this conference in Seville is of enormous value, precisely because the equation that makes it happen and gives it substance is quite the opposite. What brings us to Seville for the next few days and what we expect from this conference represents a tangible source of hope for the future.

    In the face of deeply concerning and terrifying events and trends we are witnessing in our world, and it is certainly an uplifting and opposing equation that revives our battered confidence in humanity. Can we ascertain that not all is lost, that we have not wasted so many decades of real advancement in the construction of a more stable, peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world? We all have a say to this question, to answer it, to make it possible to say yes. With so many voices accusing the multilateral world of inefficiency and deadlock, this conference is proof that even if it’s not always the most direct route or the fastest, multilateralism is still the best and more durable path to peace and progress, because it includes us all and gives everyone a voice.

    At a time when it is often said that the bridges of dialogue are being torn down, this conference is bringing together over 10,000 people from all places and origins to discuss how to modernise the development finance framework to make it more effective, ambitious and resilient in dealing with the complex challenges of a rapidly changing world. While so many claim that the UN system is suffering from chronic fatigue, this conference is a reflection of the continuing importance of the Sustainable Development Goals as set out in the agenda that the UN adopted a decade ago. That agenda, just five years from its deadline, remains a yardstick for our ambition and dedication as citizens of the world.

    We are in a perfect place for assembling and building consensus. Spain welcomes you as a country that believes pragmatism must never be in opposition to principles and values. We also believe that only through broad-based participation will the world truly have a chance to succeed in global challenges such as hunger, extreme poverty, gender equality, climate change and many more.

    For all these reasons, the UN, with the values of its Charter, its agencies, its rules and its presence on the ground, is more vital than ever. We are proud to host this international conference following the ones held in Monterey, Doha and Addis Ababa. It will be a space to converse at a critical juncture about global development, financing and governance, fiscal systems, private funding and maximising the impact of ODA, Official Development Assistance.

    We eagerly await the adoptions by consensus of the Seville Commitment and the launch of the SBA, the Seville Platform for Action. From these days forth, they will be the roadmap for reinvigorating the development finance framework. Your Excellencies, dear friends, the Spanish poet Antonio Machado, born here in Seville 150 years ago, wrote, Hoy es siempre todavía, today is forever now or still now, bidding us to act now rather than later.

    Let us bear it in mind as a motto to help galvanise our will and capacity to advance in development financing, shedding light in its path forward in this tumultuous 21st century. Let us do it here and now in Seville, in Spain, in 2025. The eyes of many millions are on this conference.

    Their hopes and their needs deserve results and they certainly do not deserve failure and deception. What better place and what better time to revive their trust and confidence. Queen Letizia and I wish you success.

    We hope you also enjoy your stay here in Seville. So welcome to Spain. Welcome to Andalusia.
    (…)”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzkpzKC1j0I

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Columbus – launch of share buyback programme under the “Safe Harbour” Regulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no. 8/2025

    The Board of Directors in Columbus A/S has decided to initiate a share buyback programme for a total amount of up to 
    DKK 16m. The authority to buy back shares was granted at the company’s Annual General Meeting held on 29 April 2025, allowing for share buyback of up to 10% of the share capital in the period until 29 October 2026 (18 months from the date of the General Meeting).

    Purpose
    The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the Company’s share capital and to hedge obligations under share-based incentive schemes. At the next Annual General Meeting in April 2026, the Board intends to propose a cancellation of shares acquired under the programme, unless such shares are used to meet obligations under share-based incentive schemes.

    Timeline
    The share buyback programme will run from 30 June 2025 until 11 March 2026 at the latest, both days included. During this period, Columbus A/S may buy back shares for a total amount of up to DKK 16m in accordance with article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, which together with MAR constitutes the ‘Safe Harbour’ Regulation.

    Terms of the share buyback

    • Columbus A/S has appointed Nordea Danmark, Filial af Nordea Bank Abp, Finland as lead manager to execute the buyback independently and without any influence from Columbus A/S, and within the parameters set out in this announcement.
    • A maximum of 1.6 million shares may be acquired under the buyback programme, corresponding to 1.24% of the current share capital of Columbus A/S.
    • Shares may not be acquired at a price deviating by more than 10% from the most recently quoted market price of the shares on Nasdaq Copenhagen at the time of acquisition.
    • The share purchase price may not exceed the price of the last registered independent trade or the price of the highest independent bid on the trading venue.
    • The maximum number of shares that may be acquired on any single trading day may not exceed 25% of the average daily trading volume of Columbus A/S shares on the relevant trading venue. The average daily volume figure must be based on the average daily volume traded in the 20 trading days preceding the date of purchase.

    A company announcement will be published weekly throughout the duration of the programme with details of transactions executed under the programme.

    Ib Kunøe                        Søren Krogh Knudsen
    Chairman of the Board                CEO & President

    For further information, please contact:
    CEO & President, Søren Krogh Knudsen, +45 70 20 50 00

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Columbus – launch of share buyback programme under the “Safe Harbour” Regulation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement no. 8/2025

    The Board of Directors in Columbus A/S has decided to initiate a share buyback programme for a total amount of up to 
    DKK 16m. The authority to buy back shares was granted at the company’s Annual General Meeting held on 29 April 2025, allowing for share buyback of up to 10% of the share capital in the period until 29 October 2026 (18 months from the date of the General Meeting).

    Purpose
    The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the Company’s share capital and to hedge obligations under share-based incentive schemes. At the next Annual General Meeting in April 2026, the Board intends to propose a cancellation of shares acquired under the programme, unless such shares are used to meet obligations under share-based incentive schemes.

    Timeline
    The share buyback programme will run from 30 June 2025 until 11 March 2026 at the latest, both days included. During this period, Columbus A/S may buy back shares for a total amount of up to DKK 16m in accordance with article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, which together with MAR constitutes the ‘Safe Harbour’ Regulation.

    Terms of the share buyback

    • Columbus A/S has appointed Nordea Danmark, Filial af Nordea Bank Abp, Finland as lead manager to execute the buyback independently and without any influence from Columbus A/S, and within the parameters set out in this announcement.
    • A maximum of 1.6 million shares may be acquired under the buyback programme, corresponding to 1.24% of the current share capital of Columbus A/S.
    • Shares may not be acquired at a price deviating by more than 10% from the most recently quoted market price of the shares on Nasdaq Copenhagen at the time of acquisition.
    • The share purchase price may not exceed the price of the last registered independent trade or the price of the highest independent bid on the trading venue.
    • The maximum number of shares that may be acquired on any single trading day may not exceed 25% of the average daily trading volume of Columbus A/S shares on the relevant trading venue. The average daily volume figure must be based on the average daily volume traded in the 20 trading days preceding the date of purchase.

    A company announcement will be published weekly throughout the duration of the programme with details of transactions executed under the programme.

    Ib Kunøe                        Søren Krogh Knudsen
    Chairman of the Board                CEO & President

    For further information, please contact:
    CEO & President, Søren Krogh Knudsen, +45 70 20 50 00

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Notice of Digitalist Group Plc’s Extraordinary General Meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Digitalist Group Plc                                                                 30 June 2025 at 09:00                       

               

    NOTICE OF DIGITALIST GROUP PLC’S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

    Notice is given to the shareholders of Digitalist Group Plc (“Company”) of the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on Wednesday 13 August 2025 at 10 a.m. at the address Siltasaarenkatu 18-20 C, 00530 Helsinki, Finland. The reception of persons who have registered for the meeting and the distribution of voting tickets will commence at 9.15 a.m. Coffee will be served before the meeting to participants in the meeting.

    A. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

    The following matters will be considered at the Extraordinary General Meeting:

    1. Opening of the meeting
    1. Calling the meeting to order
    1. Election of persons to scrutinise the minutes and to supervise the counting of votes
    1. Recording the legality of the meeting
    1. Recording the attendance at the meeting and adoption of the list of votes
    1. Share consolidation and the related free directed share issue and redemption of shares

    The Board of Directors proposes to the Extraordinary General Meeting that the Extraordinary General Meeting resolve on the consolidation of the Company’s shares, meaning a reduction in the number of shares. The arrangement is proposed to be implemented through a free directed share issue by transferring the Company’s own shares held in treasury without consideration, and by redeeming the Company’s shares without consideration, so that after the measures proposed herein, each current 250 shares of the Company would correspond to one (1) share in the Company. The current total number of shares in the Company is 693,430,455.

    The objective of the share consolidation is to improve the trading conditions of the Company’s shares by increasing the value per share and improving the price formation of the share. It would not be possible to implement the share redemption required for the consolidation with a sufficiently high redemption ratio without the simultaneous free share issue. The Board considers that the share consolidation is in the best interests of the Company and all its shareholders and that there is thus a particularly weighty financial reason from the Company’s perspective and considering the interests of all shareholders for the consolidation and the related share issue and redemption. The arrangement will not affect the Company’s equity.

    To avoid the creation of fractional shares, the Board proposes that as part of the share consolidation, the Company will transfer its own shares held in treasury without consideration through a directed free share issue in such a way that the number of shares recorded on each book-entry account holding Digitalist Group Plc’s shares on the consolidation date (“Consolidation Date”) will be made divisible by 250. The theoretical maximum number of own shares to be transferred will be calculated by multiplying the total number of such book-entry accounts on the Consolidation Date by 249. Based on an estimate made at the time of the notice to the Extraordinary General Meeting, the theoretical maximum number of shares to be transferred in the directed free share issue would be approximately 1,650,000 shares held by the Company, but to ensure the execution of the share consolidation arrangement, the maximum number of own shares to be transferred in the share issue is proposed to be 4,850,000 shares. The Board is authorized to decide on all other matters related to the transfer of own shares without consideration.

    Simultaneously with the aforementioned transfer of the Company’s shares, the Company will redeem from each shareholder’s book-entry account on the Consolidation Date without consideration a number of shares determined by multiplying the number of shares on each book-entry account by the factor 249/250 (the “Redemption Ratio”). Thus, for every 250 Company shares, 249 Company shares will be redeemed. Based on the situation on the date of the General Meeting notice, the number of shares to be redeemed would be approximately 691,500,000 shares. The Board is authorized to decide on all other matters relating to the redemption of shares. The shares redeemed in connection with the share consolidation will be cancelled immediately upon redemption and will not increase the number of the Company’s own shares held in treasury. Additionally, in connection with the consolidation, a number of the Company’s own treasury shares will be cancelled so that the number of own shares held by the Company and the total number of shares in the Company will both become divisible by 250, and the number of treasury shares will decrease proportionally to the Redemption Ratio.

    The share consolidation will, according to the proposal, be implemented in the book-entry system after the close of trading on 15 August 2025 (the “Consolidation Date”). The cancellation of shares and the new total number of shares in the Company are intended to be registered with the Finnish Trade Register by approximately 18 August 2025. Trading with the Company’s shares under the new total number of shares is expected to commence on Nasdaq Helsinki with a new ISIN code on or about 18 August 2025.

    The proposals included under this item 6 form a single entirety, which requires that both the related directed free share issue and the redemption of shares be approved in a single resolution. The implementation of the proposed share consolidation is conditional on the ability to make the number of shares recorded in each book-entry account divisible by 250 on the Consolidation Date within the maximum number of own shares to be transferred as described above. The consolidation in the proposed manner would not lead to the redemption of all shares from any shareholder.

    Furthermore, the Board proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting authorize the Board to amend the terms of the Company’s issued special rights and option rights to take into account the share consolidation. If implemented, the arrangement will not require any action from shareholders. If necessary, the trading of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq Helsinki may be temporarily suspended to allow for the required technical arrangements related to the consolidation.
      

    1. Authorisation of the Board of Directors to decide on share issues and on granting special rights entitling to shares

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting authorise the Board to decide on a share issue, which may be either against payment or without payment, as well as on granting option rights and other special rights entitling to shares that are set out in Chapter 10 Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, or on the combination of all or some of the aforementioned instruments in one or more tranches on the following terms and conditions:

    The total number of the Company’s treasury shares and new shares to be issued under the authorisation may not exceed 1,386,000, which corresponds to approximately 50 per cent of all the Company’s shares following the proposed share consolidation as set out in section 6 above.

    Within the limits of the aforementioned authorisation, the Board of Directors may decide on all terms and conditions applied to the share issue and to the special rights entitling to shares, such as that the payment of the subscription price may take place not only by cash but also by setting off receivables that the subscriber has from the Company.

    The Board of Directors shall be entitled to decide on crediting the subscription price either to the Company’s share capital or, entirely or in part, to the invested unrestricted equity fund.

    The share issue and the issuance of special rights entitling to shares may also take place in a directed manner in deviation from the pre-emptive rights of shareholders if there is a weighty financial reason for the Company to do so, as set out the Limited Liability Companies Act. In such a case, the authorisation may be used to finance corporate acquisitions or other investments related to the operations of the Company, to implement corporate restructuring arrangements as well as to maintain and improve the solvency of the Group and to carry out an incentive scheme.

    The authorization is proposed to remain in force until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2026, however no longer than until 30 June 2026, and it is proposed to revoke the corresponding authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 29 April 2025.

    The decision concerning the authorisation requires a qualified majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast and shares represented at the meeting. 

    1. Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the acquisition and/or on the acceptance as pledge of the Company’s treasury shares

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Extraordinary General Meeting authorise the Board to decide on acquiring or accepting as pledge, using the Company’s distributable funds, a maximum of 270,000 treasury shares, which corresponds to approximately 10 per cent of the Company’s total shares following the proposed share consolidation as set out in section 6 above. The acquisition may take place in one or more tranches. The acquisition price shall not exceed the highest market price of the share in public trading at the time of the acquisition.

    In executing the acquisition of treasury shares, the Company may enter into derivative, share lending or other contracts customary in the capital market, within the limits set out in laws and regulations. The authorisation entitles the Board to decide on an acquisition in a manner other than in a proportion to the shares held by the shareholders (directed acquisition).

    The Company may acquire the shares to execute corporate acquisitions or other business arrangements related to the Company’s operations, to improve its capital structure, or to otherwise further transfer the shares or cancel them.

    The authorisation is proposed to include the right for the Board of Directors to decide on all other matters related to the acquisition of shares.

    The authorization is proposed to remain in force until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2026, however no longer than until 30 June 2026, and it is proposed to revoke the corresponding authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 29 April 2025.

    The decision concerning the authorisation requires a qualified majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast and shares represented at the meeting.

    1. Closing of the Meeting

    B. DOCUMENTS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

    The above-mentioned proposals on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting, the financial statements, the report of the Board of Directors, and the auditor’s report of Digitalist Group Plc, the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on April 29, 2025, the management’s interim statement for Q1/2025, and the Board of Directors’ report on material events affecting the company’s position after the preparation of the financial statements, as well as this notice to the meeting, will be available to shareholders on Digitalist Group Plc’s website at https://investor.digitalistgroup.com/fi/investor/governance/annual-general-meeting no later than three weeks before the Extraordinary General Meeting. These documents will also be available at the Extraordinary General Meeting, and copies of them as well as this notice will be sent to shareholders upon request. A separate invitation to the Extraordinary General Meeting will not be sent to shareholders. The minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting will be available on the above-mentioned website no later than August 27, 2025.

    C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

    1. Right to participate and registration

    Shareholders who are on the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, 1 August 2025, registered in the Company’s shareholders’ register, maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd, are entitled to attend the meeting. Shareholders whose shares are registered on their personal Finnish book-entry accounts are registered in the shareholders’ register of the Company.

    Shareholders who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting must give advance notice of their attendance, and the Company must receive such notice, no later than by 4 p.m. on 8 August 2025. Registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting takes place:
                                        

    1. Via Company’s website at https://investor.digitalistgroup.com/fi/investor/governance/annual-general-meeting in accordance with the instructions provided therein;
    2. by email to yhtiokokous@digitalistgroup.com;
    3. by mail to Digitalist Group Plc/Extraordinary General Meeting, Siltasaarenkatu 18-20, 00530 Helsinki, Finland;
    4. by telephone between 9:00 and 16:00 to Aila Mettälä at +358 40 531 0678;

    When giving an advance notice of attendance, please state the shareholder’s name, date of birth / business ID, address, telephone number and the name of any assistant or proxy representative and date of birth of the proxy representative. Personal data provided to the Company by its shareholders is used only in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting and with processing the necessary registrations related to the meeting.  

    1. Proxy representative and proxy documents

    A shareholder may participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting, and exercise their rights at the Extraordinary General Meeting, by way of proxy representation.

    The shareholder’s proxy representative must produce a dated proxy document or otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate their right to represent the shareholder. If a shareholder participates in the Extraordinary General Meeting through several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares on different securities accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

    Please furnish the Company with any proxy documents as an email attachment (e.g. in PDF) or by mail, using the above-mentioned contact information for registration, before the last date for registration. In addition to submitting proxy documents, shareholders or their proxy representatives must ensure that they have registered for the Extraordinary General Meeting in the manner described above in this notice.

    Shareholders can also use the electronic Suomi.fi authorization service instead of a traditional proxy document. In this case, the shareholder authorizes a proxy that he/she/it nominates in the Suomi.fi authorization service on the website suomi.fi/e-authorizations (using the mandate theme “Representation at the General Meeting “). In connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting service, any person so authorized must identify themselves with strong electronic identification in connection with the registration, after which the electronic authorization will be checked automatically. Strong electronic identification works with online banking credentials or Mobile ID. More information on the electronic authorization service is available on the website suomi.fi/e-authorizations.    

    1. Holders of nominee-registered shares

    A holder of nominee registered shares has the right to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting by virtue of such shares based on which they would be entitled to be registered in the shareholders’ register of the Company, maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd, on 1 August 2025.

    Holders of nominee-registered shares are advised to contact their asset managers for information on how to enter the shareholders’ register, on the issuance of proxies and on submitting their notice of attendance in the Extraordinary General Meeting well before the meeting. The account management organisation of the custodian bank must register any holder of nominee-registered shares who wishes to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting into the temporary shareholders’ register of the Company by 10 a.m. on 8 August 2025 at the latest.

    1. Other instructions and information

    The language of the meeting is mainly Finnish.

    Pursuant to Chapter 5 Section 25 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, a shareholder who is present at the Extraordinary General Meeting has the right to request information with respect to the matters to be considered at the meeting.

    Changes in shareholding after the record date of the Extraordinary General Meeting will not affect the right to participate in the Extraordinary General Meeting or the number of voting rights held by a shareholder in the meeting.
          
    On the date of this notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting the total number of shares in Digitalist Group Plc, and votes represented by such shares, is 693,430,455. As of June 30, 2025, the company holds a total of 7,664,943 own shares, which do not carry voting rights at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

    In Helsinki on 30 June 2025

    DIGITALIST GROUP PLC                                                                     
    Board of Directors

    For further information, please contact:

    CEO Magnus Leijonborg, tel. +46 76 315 8422,
    magnus.leijonborg@digitalistgroup.com

    Chair of the Board: Esa Matikainen, tel. +358 40 506 0080, esa.matikainen@digitalistgroup.com

    Distribution:

    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Main media
    https://digitalist.global
                                                                                                                          

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Haffner Energy Reports Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Haffner Energy Reports Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

    Strategic milestones were reached, opening up the prospect of a commercial and economic ramp-up in the current financial year

    Vitry-le-François, France – June 30, 2025, 08:00am (CEST)

    • 2024-2025, a year of milestones demonstrating Haffner Energy‘s technological maturity: commissioning of the Marolles showcase site and green hydrogen production kick-off; signature of a first contract essential to the development of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit at the Corbat Group site in Glovelier, Switzerland; new strategic partnerships with recognized international players, particularly in the SAF industry;
    • Launch of a capital increase1 that resulted, after the close of the fiscal year, in a €7M fundraising with widening of the free float to almost 25%;
    • Net cash available of €559k at 03/31/2025 and a significantly reduced cash-burn rate, thanks to the ramp-up of the cash preservation plan initiated in November 2023;
    • EBITDA* improved significantly to -€10,011k, driven by revenue returning to positive at €378k and cost reductions, and a net loss of -€12,311k for the year ended 03/31/2025;
    • A consolidated 2025-2026 commercial outlook (total pipeline of €1.55Bn and €388M weighted pipeline2 at the end of March 2025) and a confirmed EBITDA-breakeven target at 03/31/2026.

    HAFFNER ENERGY (ISIN code: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF), just published its consolidated annual results at 03/31/2025, as approved on 06/27/2025 by the Board of Directors. On this occasion, the Company provided an update on its progress and outlook.

    Philippe HAFFNER, Co-founder and CEO of Haffner Energy said:

    “The 2024-2025 financial year is in continuity with the path we embarked on back in the second half of 2023. After launching new offers to expand our addressable market beyond hydrogen and achieving a significant increase in our project portfolio, we continue to roll out our roadmap. This year, we have carried out structuring projects that bring us closer to our objective of profitable growth: first, we have set up an industrial-scale showcase site in Marolles presenting all our technologies, whether in operation or still in development – seemingly the first site in the world to produce green hydrogen from solid biomass; this decisive element for the conversion of our project pipeline into contracts has already enabled us to sign a first contract for the installation of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit in Switzerland. To support our development, we have also continued to strengthen our network of partnerships with leading players, such as LanzaJet, LanzaTech, Atoba, and Luxaviation for the SAF market.

    In terms of financial results, although the conversion of our project pipeline into contracts had not yet materialized at 03/31/2025 and we remain in a loss-making position, we have recorded an improvement in our EBITDA thanks to the cost-cutting efforts undertaken to preserve our cash. With the first significant contracts expected to be signed, the 2025-2026 financial year should enable us to achieve our target of breakeven EBITDA by March 31, 2026.

    The capital increase launched at the end of the financial year, to which the family holding company Haffner Participation contributed €950k, resulted in a €7M fundraising in early April 2025. It will enable us to support the Company’s development. The success of this operation is due in particular to the commitment of most of our historical shareholders and to the arrival of new investors. We would like to thank them for their confidence in our project and our prospects, despite the recent turbulence on the Haffner Energy stock market.”

    I. 2024-2025: ADVANCES ILLUSTRATE HAFFNER ENERGY’S TECHNOLOGICAL MATURITY

    During the FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy took crucial steps to accelerate its commercial and industrial development, with the creation of the Marolles showcase site and the signing of major partnership agreements, particularly in the SAF industry.

    Operational commissioning of the Marolles hydrogen and renewable gas production, testing and training center: a strategic priority for the year

    During the period, the attention of the Haffner Energy team was particularly focused on the installation and commissioning of a showcase site for the Company’s technologies and expertise in the Vitry-Marolles business park (Marne County), near its headquarters. Started in late 2023, the development of this production, testing and training center unfolded in several stages: after archaeological excavations, site preparation and equipment assembly, the center entered the renewable gas (syngas) production phase on June 18, 2024 (cf. 06/20/2024 press release). Equipped with new-generation equipment and intended to operate continuously 8,000 hours per year, this site was inaugurated on November 22, 2024, during Industry Week (cf. 11/22/2024 press release and press kit).

    After obtaining regulatory approvals and installing additional equipment, the team dedicated to this project reached a strategic milestone for Haffner Energy’s industrial and commercial development with, in February 2025, the commissioning of mobility-grade green hydrogen production (cf. 02/26/2025 press releases). Green hydrogen produced as part of the activities on the Marolles site – 120 tonnes/year – is to be commercialized. Haffner Energy already signed an offtake Memorandum of Understanding on December 16, 2024, with a French operator specializing in hydrogen removal and resale in order to decarbonize mobility and industry.

    This site now allows the Company’s customers and prospects to test the range of possibilities offered by Haffner Energy technologies at full-scale and with their own biomass: production of “super green” gas and hydrogen, co-production of electricity, production and/or gasification of biocarbon and/or biochar. This site is also intended to train their teams in operating and maintaining the equipment.

    This project, which has resulted in the world’s first known site producing hydrogen from solid biomass residues, was made possible thanks to the support and commitment of the French public authorities through various local and national entities. It has thus benefited from more than €1.5M in public funding3, demonstrating the trust placed in Haffner Energy to contribute to the green reindustrialization strategy led by the French government.

    While the success of this structuring project attests to Haffner Energy’s technological and industrial maturity, it will also demonstrate the economic and ecological relevance of its technologies. Indeed, compared to alternative technologies, water electrolysis in particular, the “super green” hydrogen produced by Haffner Energy through its thermolysis technology is especially competitive due to the low cost of the primary energy used (biomass), combined with excellent energy efficiency (+ 75% for installations > 20MW). In addition, this hydrogen is carbon negative when co-produced biochar is used to sequester biogenic carbon.

    This showcase site is therefore a decisive tool to realize the Company’s commercial potential. In the short term, it will allow several contracts awaiting signature to move forward, as evidenced by the recent signing of a first contract for the construction of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit from forestry residues on the Corbat Group site in Glovelier, Switzerland, for H2bois SA. This unit, which is expected to be commissioned in July 2026, represents a total order value for Haffner Energy that is likely to reach €8.3M including options (cf. 03/12/2025 press release).

    2024-2025: new strategic partnerships with leading players

    The growing maturity of Haffner Energy’s technologies in their various applications has enabled the Company to amplify the process of building strategic partnerships already underway and to gain the trust of leading players. During this past year, new agreements have mainly occurred in the SAF industry, the Company’s priority segment given its market potential.

    Haffner Energy established a first partnership with the American company LanzaJet in June 2024 in the context of its SAF production plant project, Paris-Vatry SAF (cf. 06/06/2024 press release). A global leader in ATJ (Alcohol-to-Jet) technology, LanzaJet is a remarkably advanced player in the industry with more than 90 SAF projects in its portfolio. It was named in 2024 by Time Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Companies”. Its investors include the Aéroport de Paris (ADP) group, British Airways, Airbus, Southwest Airlines and Microsoft, among others.

    A key agreement was also signed in September 2024 with IðunnH2, the green hydrogen and sustainable e-fuel project developer in charge of Iceland’s largest e-SAF production plant project (65,000-tonne capacity). Located near Keflavík International Airport, the site is to be commissioned in 2028, using biogenic carbon from on-site biocarbon gasification with Haffner Energy’s patented technology. This solution was chosen by IðunnH2 for its ability to significantly reduce costs and increase productivity in the e-SAF production process. Indeed, in Iceland, the limited volumes of local biomass mean low access to biogenic carbon, an essential component of SAF. Haffner Energy’s supplies of solid biocarbon, gasified on-site by its Gasiliner®, will provide a competitive and flexible alternative to the usual option of biogenic CO2, a gas that is expensive to capture, transport and store. (cf. 09/02/2024 press release).

    Keen to amplify the scope of their first partnership, Haffner Energy and LanzaJet announced another partnership agreement in January 2025 (cf. 01/28/2025 press release), accompanied by LanzaTech, the developer of a differentiating solution for transforming syngas into ethanol and a LanzaJet shareholder. The Nasdaq-listed company is a recognized leader in commercial carbon management solutions.

    The objective of the tripartite agreement is to explore joint projects for the conversion of biomass residues into sustainable aviation fuel across the entire SAF production value chain by combining the technologies of the three companies. It also involves exploring a variety of opportunities, including the development of industrial facilities, fuel purchase agreements, and joint technology licenses, as well as financial support and/or investment in specific SAF projects.

    Haffner Energy also entered into a partnership agreement with ATOBA Energy in February 2025 (cf. 02/20/2025 press release), a SAF aggregator whose purpose is to solve the financial dilemma between airlines and producers by allowing different players to benefit from long-term SAF contracts at optimized prices, in particular through off-takes from diversified producers and technologies. This partnership should facilitate the financing of Haffner Energy’s SAF projects by removing the barriers of this value chain, as production plant projects struggle with signing the necessary contracts to guarantee investment returns. The identification of Haffner Energy by ATOBA Energy as a strategic player in the SAF ecosystem is another testament to the competitiveness of its technological solutions.

    Lastly, after the end of the fiscal year, Haffner Energy announced a partnership agreement with global business aviation leader Luxaviation to accelerate the production and promotion of SAF. Luxaviation is to take an active role in SAF Zero (cf. 06/18/2024 press release), an initiative launched by Haffner Energy in September 2024 (cf. 09/12/2024 press release).

    In addition, Haffner Energy has pursued its partnership approach aimed at diversifying its sustainable biomass supply sources. In France, a new agreement was signed in August 2024 with Bambbco, leader in the development of the bamboo industry in France (cf. 09/24/2024 press release). The partnership aims to improve the energy use of biomass, particularly on marginal lands and semi-desert areas, by creating local ecosystems for SAF projects. In a similar fashion, Haffner Energy had signed a partnership early 2024 with the US company Hexas, specialized in the production of raw plant-based materials from its regenerative crop: XanoGrass™ (cf. 03/13/2024 press release).

    II. SUCCESSFULLY RAISING THE FUNDS NEEDED TO FINANCE THE COMPANY’S GROWTH

    Shortly before FY 2024-2025 ended, Haffner Energy launched a capital increase through the issue of shares with share subscription warrants (ABSA), while maintaining shareholders’ preferential subscription rights (DPS).

    This operation’s final completion, materialized by the settlement-delivery of the shares on April 4, 2025, i.e. just after the close of the fiscal year, enabled the company to raise €7M and expand its free float, which now stands at almost 25% of the capital.

    As announced in June 2024, and within the framework of the authorizations granted by the Annual General Meeting of September 12, 2024, Haffner Energy raised funds to accelerate the Company’s development. Following a decision by the Board of Directors at its meeting of March 12, 2025, this took the form of a €7M capital increase through the issue of ABSAs with shareholders’ preferential subscription rights (DPS).

    A two-stage transaction: €7M through the issue of ABSAs, potentially doubled if the warrants are exercised within 18 months.

    As a reminder, the operation had the following characteristics:

    – Transaction eligible for the IR-PME, PEA and PEA-PME, FIP-FCPI and Article 150-0 B ter schemes
    – Allocation of preferential subscription rights (DPS): on the basis of 1 preferential subscription right for 1 share held on 03/14/2025
    – Negotiability of DPS from 03/17/2025 to 03/26/2025 inclusive
    – Subscription ratio: 9 ABSA for 23 Existing Shares
    – Subscription price per ABSA: €0.40, i.e. a 59% discount to the closing price on 03/12/2025, the day before the transaction was announced (€0.98).
    – ABSA subscription period from 03/19/2025 to 03/28/2025 inclusive
    – Final completion of the issue recorded on 04/04/2025, for an amount of €6,995,497.60, of which €1,748,874.40 par value and €5,246,623.20 issue premium, bringing the Company’s share capital to €6,218,220.10.
    – Settlement-delivery of the ABSA: 04/04/2025
    – Trading of New Shares (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF) and BSAs (ISIN FR001400Y4X9) on Euronext Growth in Paris since 04/04/2025Trading of New Shares (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF) and BSAs (ISIN FR001400Y4X9) on Euronext Growth in Paris since 04/04/2025
    – Terms and conditions of exercise of the warrants attached to the ABSAs (on the basis of 1 warrant per New Share): as from 04/04/2026 for a period of 6 months, 3 warrants entitling the holder to subscribe to one New Share at a price of €1.20. Exercise of all the warrants would ultimately represent a potential capital increase of €6,995,498 gross.

    This operation benefited from the renewed support of historical shareholders (Haffner Participation, VICAT, EUREFI) and new investors, who had committed to participate in the transaction up to €5.5M.

    It was carried out with the assistance of Gilbert Dupont, as global coordinator and bookrunner, and CIC Market Solutions as custodian.

    Post-transaction, a modified capital structure and a near-doubling of the free float

    The gross capital increase recorded by the Board of Directors at its meeting on April 1, 2025 amounted to €6,995,497.60, including €1,748,874.40 nominal value and €5,246,623.60 share premium, and resulted in the issuance of 17,488,744 ABSAs at a subscription price of €0.40 per share, including €0.10 nominal value and €0.30 issue premium (cf. press releases of 2/04/2025 and 4/04/2025).

    Following the issuance of ABSA, Haffner Energy’s share capital was increased to €6,218,220.10 divided into 62,182,201 ordinary shares with a nominal value of €0.10.

    The operation led to a change in the breakdown of capital and voting rights. In particular, the capital increase led to a significant increase in the free float (from 12.83% to 24.75%), which should ultimately prove positive for the share’s attractiveness.

    Table: Impact of the ABSA issue on the breakdown of share capital and Differential Voting Rights

      Before Capital Increase After Capital Increase
      Number of shares % of Capital Number of DVR % of exercisable DVRs Number of shares % of Capital Number of DVR % of exercisable DVRs
    Haffner Participation 17 824 000 39,88% 35 648 000 45,15% 20 199 000 32,48% 38 023 000 39,42%
    Eurefi 5 741 600 12,85% 11 483 200 14,54% 8 311 600 13,37% 14 053 200 14,57%
    Sous total Concert 23 565 600 52,73% 47 131 200 59,69% 28 510 600 45,85% 52 076 200 53,99%
    Vicat 1 175 000 2,63% 1 175 000 1,49% 3 675 000 5,91% 3 675 000 3,81%
    Eren Industries 1 000 000 2,24% 2 000 000 2,53% 1 391 302 2,24% 2 391 302 2,48%
    Kouros 11 826 112 26,46% 21 920 542 27,76% 11 826 112 19,02% 21 920 542 22,73%
    HRS 1 000 000 2,24% 1 000 000 1,27% 1 000 000 1,61% 1 000 000 1,04%
    Flottant 5 736 238 12,83% 5 736 238 7,26% 15 388 680 24,75% 15 388 680 15,95%
    Self-holding 390 507 0,87% – 0,00% 390 507 0,63% – 0,00%
    TOTAL 44 693 457 100% 78 962 980 100% 62 182 201 100% 96 451 724 100%

    For the record, a shareholder who did not take part in the operation and previously held 1% of the capital saw a dilutive effect of 0.72% applied to his position.

    After the operation, stock price in turmoil 

    Mechanically, and all other things being equal, Haffner Energy’s share price should have fallen by around 28%, in line with the dilutive effect. However, following the capital increase, the share experienced unexpectedly high trading volumes, due first and foremost to massive and disorderly selling, leading to a drop in the share price to a low of €0.25 on 04/18/2025. Since then, the stock price has begun to rise again (to €0.35 on 06/23/2025). Trade is still occurring in very high volumes, without Haffner Energy having any specific information on their origin.

    III. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS OF LOW SIGNIFICANCE, MARKED BY EFFORTS TO IMPROVE EBITDA AND PRESERVE CASH

    The consolidated financial statements presented below, for which audit procedures are in progress, were approved by the Board of Directors at its 06/27/2025 meeting. The scope of consolidation and accounting methods used at March 31, 2025, are unchanged from the previous year: Haffner Energy’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS; the only consolidated subsidiary is Jacquier.

    In terms of consolidated financial results, FY 2024-2025 displays a similar profile to the previous one, albeit with a few changes.

    In thousands of euros 03.31.25
    (12 months)    		 03.31.24
    (12 months)
    Net sales
    Other income    		 378
    79    		 -157
    69
    EBITDA -10,011 -12,791
    Operating result -12,275 -10,263
    Net income -12,311 -9,935
    Shareholders’ equity 14,300 26,768
    Cash available 5594 11,042

    At 03/31/025, consolidated revenue remained amounted to €378k. It mainly comprised sales of boiler-making equipment by Jacquier and various services and studies by Haffner Energy.

    As a reminder, consolidated revenue was negative for FY 2023-2024 (-157 k€) due to the impact of the termination of the R-Hynoca contract in December 20235 (cf. 14/12/2023 press release).

    Confirmed EBIDTA improvement thanks to cost-cutting measures

    Extending the trend of the first half of the year, EBITDA6continued to improve to -€10,011k, under the combined effect of the decrease in purchases consumed (-15%), personnel costs (-17%) and external expenses (-23%), resulting from the full impact of the cash preservation plan initiated in November 2023.

    Operating result nevertheless deteriorated (-€12,275k at 03/31/2025, down €2,012k compared to 03/31/2024). This change is mainly due to the reversal of provisions for losses on completion from the previous year in the amount of €5,787k.

    As of 03/31/2025, consolidated net income stood at -€12,311k, registering a larger loss than last year (-€9,935k at 03/31/2024).

    After appropriation of net income, shareholders’ equity amounted to €14,300k, excluding the impact of the capital increase which will be taken into account in FY 2025-2026 due to its completion after the closing date.

    Haffner Energy’s other assets and liabilities are as follows:

    On the assets side, non-current assets (€11,250k, or +€309k) were almost stable, mainly composed of intangible assets representing the Company’s intellectual property (€8,105k as of 03/31/2025 compared to €7,843k as of 03/31/2024). Current assets, on the other hand, contracted significantly to €22,456k (-€12,321k), mainly due to:

    • the consumption of a significant portion of cash (€559k as of 03/31/2025 compared to €11,042k as of 03/31/2024).
    • the decrease in other current assets (advances paid to suppliers for €2,464k and Research Tax Credit for €941k).

    Conversely, inventories and outstandings increased, reaching €13,432k at the end of the financial year (+€3,287k) mainly due to the installation of the Marolles site.

    On the liabilities side, shareholders’ equity amounted to €14,300k at 03/31/2025 (a decrease of €12,468k) mainly due to the allocation of the year’s profit to reserves. It should be noted that the capital increase is not taken into account as of 03/31/2025.
    Non-current liabilities decreased slightly (-€268k at 03/31/2025 to €5,833k). This change takes into account the €500k RDI loan received from Bpifrance in March 2025.
    Current liabilities, meanwhile, increased +€725k to €13,574k at 31/03/2025. This change is mainly due to the net increase in provisions ongoing litigations (+€882k to €1,116k at 31/03/2025).

    It should be noted that, as the proceedings with Sara and Carbonloop are still in progress, the balance sheet position of previous years has been maintained. In addition, a provision has been booked in respect of employee-related litigation.

    Net cash position necessitates fundraising despite reduced cash-burn rate

    As of 03/31/2025, net cash and cash equivalents amounted to €559k.

    As a reminder, the main measures of the cash preservation plan initiated since November 2023 and implemented during the year have focused on:

    • Overheads in addition to reinforced budget management and expense control measures, the company reduced fees, cancelled non-essential service or subcontracting contracts whose tasks could be handled internally, changed payroll managers, renegotiated the commercial terms of other contracts, and limited travel and related expenses to essentials.
      • Payroll: in addition to the freeze on recruitment and replacements, as well as the absence of a general salary increase over FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy implemented a targeted redundancy plan in the summer of 2024, resulting in the loss of nine (9) positions. Subsequent to the balance sheet date, a redundancy plan for economic reasons was launched at SAS Jacquier. This redundancy plan resulted in the departure of three (3) employees from the workforce on 06/16/2025.
      • Leased surface areas: these have been reduced in both Nantes and Paris, thanks to the relocation of the Paris offices in January 2025 and the termination of the lease on the 1st floor of the Nantes offices.
      • Postponement of non-priority investments, such as the deployment of a new ERP system (€1.3M).
      • Renegotiations with strategic partners and service providers to review certain delivery schedules and invoice payment deadlines (€3M)
      • Deferrals of payments illustrating the commitment of all internal stakeholders to the company, such as the deferral of the payment of the individual portion of employees’ target-based bonuses and the payment of directors’ fees; lastly, we note the waiver by the two executives and founding investors, Philippe and Marc Haffner, of the variable portion of their remuneration for FY 2023-2024, as well as the temporary two-stage reduction of part of their fixed remuneration for FY 2023-2024 and FY 2024-2025. These amounts have been provisioned in the financial statements.

    Thanks to the implementation of these cost-saving measures, the average monthly cash-burn rate was significantly reduced during the year, gradually falling from €1.4M at the end of 2023 to €1M at the end of 2024, to about €0.6M per month in Q1 2025 (calendar year), excluding income and non-recurring expenses.

    In order to ensure that the Company would have the necessary resources to pursue its development until the expected ramp-up in revenue, and as announced as early as June 2024, Haffner Energy therefore initiated the above-mentioned capital increase during the year (see page 4).          

    Having carried out a review of its liquidity risk, the Company considers that it will have sufficient cash to finance its activities until at least 03/31/2026.

    This cash outlook takes into account:

    – The €7M capital increase finally subscribed on April 4, 2025, after the closing of FY 2024-2025;

    – The receipt, in March 2025, of a €500k innovation grant from Bpifrance (RDI loan) for the hydrogen production, testing and training center project in Marolles (Marl’Hy);

    – Cost reductions undertaken by the Company (see page 8) that cap the average monthly cash burn-rate, excluding non-recurring income and expenses, at around €600k (compared with €1M at the end of 2024).

    In the 1st half of the year, this is subject to the successful completion of the endurance test at the Marolles site and the signature of the resulting contracts, as well as to the obtaining, during the year, of additional financing linked to the equipment at the Marolles site.

    IV. PROJECTS AND PROSPECTS: FOUR NEW OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES

    For the current financial year, the Haffner Energy team, boosted by the confidence and support from its business partners, shareholders and institutional ecosystem, has set four new operational priorities: accelerating the conversion of its pipeline, moving forward with the implementation of targeted strategic projects, continuing to structure its action, and simplifying its governance.

    Accelerating pipeline conversion

    At the end of FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy had an estimated total sales pipeline of €1.55Bn compared to €1.4Bn at 03/31/2024, confirming a high level of commercial activity due to the various initiatives undertaken since mid-2023: launch of a high-capacity offer for the renewable gas market (syngas) and a SAF offer; business development in the United States through the creation of a subsidiary; increased presence in various US trade fairs dedicated to renewable energies and hydrogen7.

    On the occasion of its capital increase, and in order to offer a clearer and more representative view of its business and prospects, the Company decided to adopt a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline** instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle. This weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential revenue of each project that counts in the sales pipeline

    At the end of March 2025, Haffner Energy’s weighted sales pipeline stood at €388M.

    Two contracts for hydrogen production equipment had been identified as likely to be signed following the start of hydrogen production at the Marolles site in February 2025 (cf. 02/26/2025 press release).

    The first of these is the H2bois project, for which Haffner Energy signed an initial contract on 03/12/2025, which is essential for the creation of this unit to produce hydrogen, electricity, and biochar from biomass at the Swiss Corbat group’s site (cf. 03/12/2025 press release). With delivery of the site scheduled for July 2026, orders for Haffner Energy are expected to be staggered between now and the end of FY 2025-2026.

    The second regards REFORMERS’ Renewable Energy Valley project in Alkmaar in the Netherlands. The latter was awarded the 2025 World Hydrogen Award, “Clean Project” category, May 22, 2025, in Rotterdam, thanks to the choice of HYNOCA® as the green hydrogen production technology included in the project.

    Advancing the implementation of a number of targeted strategic projects: R&D, Marolles, and commercial partnerships

    While growing the market for existing solutions is the priority for the current financial year, Haffner Energy has continued and will continue to invest time in Research & Development in order to offer its customers new or optimized solutions. The performance of its biomass thermolysis technology is indeed the source of the recognition enjoyed by the Group. In particular, before the end of FY 2024-2025, the Company was awarded the “Innovative Company” label by Bpifrance. This recognition enabled the company to welcome an FCPI fund to its capital.

    In April 2025, the Group presented a new line of production units, Hynoca® Flex 500 IG, capable of producing 12 tonnes per day of marketable green hydrogen for less than €3/kg without subsidies, and of generating profitable renewable electricity at peak times (cf. 24/04/2025 press release). Competitive with grey hydrogen and fossil fuels thanks to its energy efficiency of over 80%, this new solution offers all the flexibility of hydrogen and electricity cogeneration, enabling producers’ sites to manage random hydrogen demand and benefit from continuous operation without having to lock themselves into rigid off-take contracts.

    The current year’s priorities also include optimizing equipment at the strategic Marolles site, and in particular finalizing the installation of the Gasiliner® (cf. 11/22/2024 press release).

    The Haffner Energy team has also been working to advance the strategic Paris-Vatry SAF project. During FY 2024-2025, the Company finalized the creation of SPV (Special Project Vehicle) PARIS VATRY SAF SAS. In addition, Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, a global business aviation leader, confirmed its interest in playing an active role in spin-off SAF Zero at the International Paris Air Show this month. Luxaviation’s participation could take the form of financing the initial development of SAF activities, supporting strategy and global visibility, as well as off-take agreements in SAF Zero projects such as Paris-Vatry SAF (cf. 06/18/2025 press release).

    Finally, the FactorHy project of a first plant to assemble renewable gas and hydrogen production modules is still underway. Preliminary studies have been completed and detailed studies for the building permit application are continuing.

    Continuing to structure its action

    Having completed the creation of Haffner Energy Inc., an unconsolidated US subsidiary, in May 2024, Haffner Energy will continue to work on structuring its action and future developments with a view, in particular, to making effective progress in the SAF market. For current FY, the Company intends to launch SAF Zero, a spin-off designed to maximize its potential in this booming market (cf. 12/09/2024 press release and 18/06/2025 press releases).

    Simplifying its governance

    In addition, Haffner Energy has decided to simplify its corporate governance to enhance efficiency.

    At its meeting on 05/09/2025, the Board of Directors decided to propose the following to the 06/23/2025 Combined General Meeting of Shareholders:

    • a reduction in the number of Board members, with the early termination of the terms of office of Kouros France and Kouros SA, who also undertook to reduce their shareholding following the capital increase in which they did not wish to participate;
    • a partial renewal of the Board’s membership, to allow the entry of a new director representing the Luxembourg company Eren Industries, one of Haffner Energy’s industrial shareholders. A partner of Haffner Energy’s since the Company’s IPO, this recognized player in the energy transition is dedicated to technological innovation in the service of the natural resource economy. Eren Industries develops and invests in infrastructure projects, particularly in low-carbon energy production (hydrogen, biogas, biomethane, etc.), some of which could be projects of interest to Haffner Energy, and will provide the Board with all its sector expertise.
    • An update of the statutes simplifying the majority rules applicable to certain Board decisions, in line with common practice.

    All the resolutions were adopted at the June 23, 2025 General Shareholders’ Meeting.

    It should be noted that the Board of Directors has decided to reduce the attendance fees of independent directors as from the next financial year. Non-independent directors will not be remunerated.

    In addition, Mrs Bich Van Ngo and Mrs Sophie Dutordoir, independent directors, resigned from the Board at the close of the Annual General Meeting on 06/23/2025.

    Mr. Olivier Piron (Société E-Venture Management and Investment srl) was co-opted to the Board of Directors as an independent director at the close of the Board meeting of 06/27/2025.

    As a result, Haffner Energy’s Board of Directors is now composed of six (6) members, up from eight (8) previously:

    • Mr. Philippe Haffner, Chairman and CEO of Haffner Energy
    • Mr. Marc Haffner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Haffner Energy
    • Mrs. Francesca Ecsery, independent
    • Société E-Venture Management and Investment srl, with Mr. Olivier Piron as permanent representative
    • Europe and Growth, with Mr. Xavier Dethier as permanent representative
    • Eren Industries SA, with Mr. David Corchia as permanent representative

    Next events

    Shareholder webinar : July 1, 2025 – register here

    Annual General Meeting : September 10, 2025

    More detailed financial information on the annual accounts at 03/31/2025 is available on the website www.haffner-energy.com.

    About Haffner Energy

    Haffner Energy designs, manufactures, supplies, and operates biofuel and hydrogen solutions using biomass residues. Its innovative, patented thermolysis technology produces Sustainable Aviation Fuel, as well as renewable gas, hydrogen, and methanol. The company also contributes to regenerating the planet through the co-production of biogenic CO2 and biochar. A company co-founded 32 years ago by Marc and Philippe Haffner, Haffner Energy has been working from the outset to decarbonize industry and all forms of mobility, as well as governments and local communities. Haffner Energy is listed on Euronext Growth (ISIN code : FR0014007ND6 – Mnémonique : ALHAF).

    Investor relations

    investisseurs@haffner-energy.com

    Media relations        

    Laure BOURDON
    laure.bourdon@haffner-energy.com
    +33 (0) 7 87 96 35 15

    Glossary:

    The Company is now adopting a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle.

    * Pipeline designates a business opportunity when at least one of the following situations occurs:
    – a preliminary feasibility study for the installation of equipment is, or has been, carried out; or
    – a budget offer, or a preliminary business plan for the project, or a complete commercial offer including specifications, has been sent to the customer and Haffner Energy is awaiting its response; or
    – a letter of intent has been sent to Haffner Energy by the customer; or
    – Haffner Energy has received an invitation to participate and is part of a tender process.

    ** The weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential sales of each project included in the total pipeline. Thus, given a total pipeline of projects worth €1.55Bn at March 31, 2025, the weighted pipeline at March 31, 2025 stood at €388M, with “hydrogen projects” now accounting for only 18% of the weighted pipeline.

    1 Subscription period for the Capital Increase closed on 03/29/2025, Settlement-Delivery on 04/04/2025.
    2 In order to offer a clearer and more representative view of its business and prospects, the Company is now adopting a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle. This weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential revenue of each project that counts in the sales pipeline.

    3 Including an Innovation-Research and Development Loan (PIRD) in the amount of €500k granted by Bpifrance and received in early March 2025.
    4 Cash and cash equivalents at 03/31/2025 do not include the €7M fundraising, which was completed after closing on 04/04/2025
    5 The termination of the R-Hynoca contract was accompanied by a memorandum of understanding under which Haffner Energy will have to make two residual payments (€1M before 12/31/2025 and €0.85M before 12/31/2026).
    6 EBITDA corresponds to operating income before depreciation and amortization, impairment net of reversals of fixed assets and current assets, and before operating provisions net of reversals.
    7 Since January 2025, Haffner Energy has participated in Hyvolution Paris 2025, Bio360 Expo 2025 in Nantes, World Electrolysis Congress 2025 in Cologne, World Hydrogen Summit 2025 in Rotterdam, for example.

    Attachment

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Busy roads expected for All Blacks-France test match in Dunedin

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is encouraging rugby fans to plan ahead for extra traffic and potential delays as thousands descend on Dunedin for the test match between the All Blacks and France this Saturday.

    “A lot of people will be travelling to the city ahead of the big match, particularly on State Highway 1 from Christchurch, and with it also being school holidays, the roads are going to be busy. So, give yourself plenty of travel time,” says NZTA Otago journey manager Nicole Felts.

    “If you are travelling from outside of Dunedin, be aware of the weather forecasts and check out our Journey Planner site so you know about any state highway closures or restrictions in place. It looks at this stage like there might be some rain about Dunedin leading into match day. And at this time of year, there’s always a chance of snow, ice, or flooding from heavy rain causing disruption on roads leading to Dunedin.”

    “Remember in winter driving conditions to think about adjusting your speed and travelling distances, being visible and avoiding sudden braking or turning movements.”

    Winter driving advice 

    The areas in and around Forsyth Barr Stadium and Dunedin’s Octagon and hospitality areas will also be busy in the lead-up to the test match.   

    “Parking restrictions will be in place around Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday, including the temporary closure of parts of Anzac Avenue, Frederick Street and Ward Street,” Miss Felts says.

    “Remember the closer you park to the stadium, the longer it will take you to leave the area after the match.”

    Otago Regional Council and Dunedin City Council are providing a variety of free buses and parking facilities for rugby fans on the day of the match.

    Free buses for match ticket holders will be available on four Orbus services that stop near the stadium. Free buses from the Octagon will run in a loop from outside the Dunedin Public Art Gallery to the Forth Street Bus Hub starting at 4.30pm, and continuing until kick-off. Return trips to the Octagon will begin at 9.30pm from the Forth Street Bus Hub. Train, and Park and Ride services, will also be available.  

    More information

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

    Sarah Ailwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

    Sarah Ailwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spain, Netherlands capture titles at FIBA 3×3 World Cup

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Spain and the Netherlands captured the men’s and women’s titles at the 2025 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, on Sunday.

    Spain’s men’s team defeated Switzerland 21-17 in the final, while the Netherlands edged host Mongolia 15-9 to claim the women’s crown, according to the Mongolian 3×3 Basketball Association.

    Serbia delivered a standout performance in the men’s bronze medal game, beating Germany 21-16. In the women’s third-place match, Canada overcame Poland 21-9.

    The ninth edition of this prestigious basketball tournament, held on June 23-29, featured 20 men’s and 20 women’s teams from various countries and regions. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Former supremo Ecclestone makes F1 podium debut at 94

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Bernie Ecclestone, the former Formula One supremo who rarely stayed to watch races beyond halfway when he was in charge, made his first grand prix podium appearance at the age of 94 in Austria on Sunday.

    The Briton was present at the Red Bull Ring to hand out a medal on behalf of the president of the governing FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to McLaren’s race winner Lando Norris.

    Norris hopped off the top step of the podium so that he would be standing at the same level as his diminutive compatriot.

    “I think it’s really nice that the president gives a personal congratulations to the winning competitor,” said Ecclestone, who ran the commercial side of the sport for some 40 years until being ousted in 2017.

    “As he could not attend the race here in Austria, he asked me to present his medal for him which I am pleased and honoured to do.

    “It was also great to be there as, though it might seem strange, this was the first time in almost 70 years in this sport that I’ve actually been on the podium.”

    Norris won Formula One’s 1,136th championship grand prix and Ecclestone attended the first at Silverstone in 1950.

    He once said he left races soon after the start because by then his business was done.

    The President’s Medal was first presented to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the season-ending 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and each one carries the race number and highlights the event’s history.

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI China: Senior-friendly toys fuel growth of China’s silver economy

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Inside a senior care home, lively elders gathered around a tabletop hockey game, sharpening their minds and savoring the moment.

    These brain-teasing games, once seen as children’s play, are quickly becoming the latest craze among older adults.

    As China’s population ages rapidly, the once-overlooked market for senior-friendly toys is emerging as a new pillar of the booming silver economy.

    For Guan Weijiang, a toy merchant in Yiwu, a bustling trade hub in east China, the shift is quite evident.

    Over the past year, his online store has experienced a surge in demand for fitness and brain-training toys among older customers. Consumers aged 50 and above now make up 30 percent of his user base.

    “Our two best-selling toys fall into the fitness and puzzle categories. They’re not physically demanding, but they’re fun and perfect for elderly users to exercise or pass the time,” Guan said.

    “There’s actually quite a bit of overlap between toys for children and those for the elderly, as both help improve reflexes, grip strength and coordination. In fact, some children’s toys can be easily adapted for seniors with just a few simple tweaks,” Guan explained.

    Recognizing the potential of senior-friendly toys as a promising niche, he decided to seize the opportunity. Within just three months of launching over 10 products designed specifically for elderly users, his shop’s sales far exceeded expectations.

    On one of China’s leading e-commerce platforms, Taobao, searches for “senior-friendly toys” jumped 124 percent year on year, with transaction volumes increasing by over 70 percent. Consumers aged 55 and above now make up a growing proportion of buyers, and their purchasing frequency is accelerating.

    Seeing the expanding market, an increasing number of toy manufacturers across China are shifting their focus to meet the demands of older consumers.

    According to Cheng Xin from Taobao’s toys and collectibles team, the platform is seeing a wave of new shops selling toys for the elderly, with some newly established and many others converted from former children’s toy stores.

    “Toys are no longer just for children or symbols of pop culture. They are lifelong hobbies that can bring joy and mental enrichment to consumers of all ages,” Cheng said, adding that Taobao plans to launch a dedicated category for senior-friendly toys, along with tailored operational support for the segment.

    The rise of senior-friendly toys is not only creating new consumer demand but also catalyzing transformations across traditional industries.

    Yunhe County in Zhejiang Province, widely known as China’s “Wooden Toy Capital,” stands out as a particularly striking example.

    Building on decades of industrial experience, Yunhe is now integrating wooden toys with elderly care to develop an innovation-driven industry chain focused on cognitive wellness and entertainment.

    The key to this transformation lies in shifting from “fun” to “function.” So far, local manufacturers have developed over 200 wooden toys designed to improve hand-foot coordination and help slow memory loss among older adults.

    According to Yin Qian, president of Zhejiang Mimi Zhikang Technology Co., the company has developed over 100 wooden puzzle toys that are both entertaining and mentally stimulating.

    To enhance the cognitive and rehabilitative benefits of its products, the company collaborated with the Health Science Center (HSC) of Xi’an Jiaotong University and an Alzheimer’s prevention group based in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province.

    So far, the company has secured more than 30 patents and supplies products to over 500 elderly care institutions across the country.

    Meanwhile, Yunhe is also eyeing international markets. In recent years, the county has expanded exports of its wooden toys to senior schools, nursing homes and community centers overseas.

    “In 2024, our products were successfully exported to Germany, Japan, and other markets, where they’ve been warmly received by elderly users,” Yin said.

    In the first quarter of this year, the company’s sales of elderly-oriented wooden toys rose 50 percent year on year.

    According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China’s elderly population is projected to grow by more than 10 million annually over the next decade. By 2035, the silver economy is expected to account for 9 percent of China’s GDP, up from 6 percent today.

    Data from market research firm iiMedia Research shows that China’s elderly care industry reached 12 trillion yuan (about 1.68 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up 16.5 percent year on year. The silver economy is projected to hit around 30 trillion yuan by 2035, accounting for about 10 percent of GDP.

    The innovation in niche segments is opening up new avenues in the silver economy, according to Zhang Jinsong, secretary general of the Elder Education on Aging Committee of China Gerontological Society.

    “The silver economy is poised to evolve from meeting basic needs to fulfilling aspirations for quality and enjoyment,” he said. “That shift will unleash enormous potential.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Kane, Neves lead Bayern, PSG to Club World Cup quarters

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will meet in a tantalizing FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal after winning their round-of-16 matches on Sunday.

    In Miami, Harry Kane struck twice as Bayern Munich progressed with a 4-2 victory over a spirited Flamengo while Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a 4-0 rout in Atlanta.

    Bayern went ahead early at Hard Rock Stadium courtesy of an Erick Pulgar own goal and Kane doubled the lead with a long-range effort after a turnover.

    Gerson reduced the deficit by rifling home from 15 yards before Leon Goretzka controlled a defensive clearance with his chest and thumped a 25-yard drive past Agustin Rossi.

    The Brazilian side continued to press and Jorginho converted from the penalty spot after a Michael Olise handball just before the hour.

    But the Bundesliga champions pulled away again through Kane, who slotted a low shot past Rossi after Kimmich’s perfectly weighted pass.

    “In the first 20 minutes we were playing well but the intensity of the game was ferocious,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said.

    “I’m thinking, ‘Okay, in this heat, against this opponent, is this going to carry on?’ To be fair, we grew into the game and I think it was a good game for the fans. We are really happy to go to the next round.”

    Kompany said his team would prioritize rest before turning its focus to Saturday’s clash with PSG in Atlanta.

    “The main thing is we have to rest now, recover from this game, use every single day that we’ve got to rebuild our energy,” the former Manchester City defender said.

    “What more do you want? Top sides playing each other on the biggest stage. We’ll be ready for that.”

    Earlier, Joao Neves scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain netted four first-half goals en route to a comprehensive win over Inter Miami.

    Portugal international Neves opened the scoring for the European champions by meeting a sumptuous free-kick from compatriot Vitinha to head home at the far post. Neves then combined with Fabian Ruiz for an easy tap-in after Sergio Busquets gave the ball away in front of his own box.

    Nothing went right for the MLS club and Tomas Aviles inadvertently chested the ball into his own net after Desire Doue’s cross from the right flank. Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi fired home a fourth goal after his initial attempt from eight yards rebounded off the bar.

    Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, playing against his former club, did his best to lift Inter Miami in the second half with a series of vintage dribbles and a near-miss with a header. But his team could do little more than limit the damage as PSG showed the gulf in quality between Europe’s elite and the MLS.

    “It’s a great feeling. I think we started the match almost perfectly, controlling play and creating a lot of chances,” PSG manager Luis Enrique said.

    “The second half was different. We had less energy and they could have scored a goal, but I’m happy with all the players, with the mentality, with the attitude. We need to improve, like always because that’s professional football, but I’m happy.”

    Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano said he could not have asked for more from his players.

    “In terms of the tournament, my take is that we have accomplished the goals we set for ourselves,” the Argentine said. “We have met the expectations that were placed on us.

    “It’s difficult when it’s 4-0 and you know you don’t have much chance. You don’t expect to change the result but it was important to show a good image to the people. The players did really well in the second half, they tried to do their best, this is the way we want to play.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China lose to Canada at Men’s Volleyball Nations League

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The Chinese team lost 3-0 to Canada in the 2025 Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Chicago leg on Sunday.

    In the first set, the two teams were tied from 1-1 to 12-12 before Canada pulled away with five straight points to lead 17-12. China closed the gap to 20-21 with blocks from Zhang Zhejia and Li Yongzhen and powerful attacks by Jiang Chuan. However, Canada held on to take the set 25-23 with strong serving and offense.

    Jiang Chuan (R) of China spikes during the Pool 5 match between China and Canada at the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 in Chicago, the United States, June 29, 2025. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)

    China fell behind 4-7 in the second set but responded with four straight points to lead 8-7. The teams stayed close until 16-16, when Canada pulled ahead to win 25-20. China committed more errors, saw a drop in offensive efficiency, and struggled to contain Canada’s momentum.

    In the third set, China trailed 6-1 early but narrowed the gap to 8-7 before losing steam. Led by captain Jiang Chuan, the team rallied to 19-17, but Canada held on to win the set 25-23 and seal the match.

    Zhang Jingyin missed the match due to a knee injury, while Jiang Chuan returned to the starting lineup. China had opportunities to tie or take the lead in both the first and third sets but fell short in key moments.

    The team continues to face challenges with first-pass stability, quick-attack execution from middle blockers, and setter variation.

    Ranked 11th in the world, Canada holds a clear advantage over 24th-ranked China. This latest defeat marks China’s fourth straight loss to Canada, compounding a psychological disadvantage.

    Jiang expressed his frustration. “Losing four matches in the Chicago leg is a wake-up call. We need to change some things in the next leg and strive for better performance,” he said.

    “We didn’t play our best match. One or two players did a good job, a lot of players could not bring what they can do,” said China’s Belgian head coach Vital Heynen. “But (for sports) sometimes you don’t play as good as you are. We have to accept.”

    “Seeing our whole situation, injuries, putting players coming back, some players have to take a lot of loads who are not used to do that, and cannot always bring that, that’s normal,” Heynen said. “I blame myself and the team, like we together are not good enough.”

    “I think every match is so difficult for us. So we will try next week to win at least one match, to have at least a good ending of this VNL.”

    Five national teams from China, the United States, Brazil, Italy and Canada competed in the Chicago leg of the 2025 VNL. China lost all four of its matches.

    The VNL group stage spans three weeks, with Chicago hosting the second week. The third week will take place in Gdansk, Poland; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and the Kanto region of Japan. The finals are scheduled for July 30 to August 3 in Ningbo Beilun, east China’s Zhejiang Province. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Norris fends off Piastri for Austrian GP victory

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    McLaren’s Lando Norris shrugged off the heartache of retirement last time out in Canada to beat teammate Oscar Piastri to victory in Sunday’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen failed to finish after being hit by Kimi Antonelli on lap 1.

    Starting from pole position in searing heat at the Red Bull Ring, Norris was made to work hard for the win. Piastri started third but immediately overtook Charles Leclerc at the first corner, and kept relentless pressure on the Briton throughout the race.

    The first potential flashpoint came on lap 11, when Piastri capitalized on a DRS opportunity to briefly snatch the lead into Turn 3. But Norris struck back almost immediately, reclaiming the position later in the lap.

    From there, Norris maintained a slender but crucial advantage, managing the gap while negotiating backmarkers and battling minor front wing damage in the closing stages. Despite Piastri’s pace and several moments where the Australian appeared poised to launch another attack, McLaren made clear over team radio that both drivers were free to race, but with the understanding that both cars needed to come home cleanly.

    Norris ultimately crossed the line 2.7 seconds ahead of Piastri to take his third victory of the season and reduce his points deficit to the Australian to just 15.

    The win marked an emphatic turnaround for Norris after his Canadian Grand Prix ended with him crashing into the back of Piastri during a late-race battle for fourth position. That incident, which Norris admitted was his fault, not only cost him a points finish but also handed Piastri momentum in their championship fight.

    Sunday’s victory allowed Norris to trim Piastri’s lead in the standings to 15 points, breathing new life into the title race ahead of Norris’s home Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend.

    The Austrian race began in chaotic fashion. Carlos Sainz’s Williams stalled on the formation lap, forcing an aborted start and reducing the race distance from 71 to 70 laps.

    When the lights finally went out, Mercedes’ Antonelli misjudged his braking point and collided with Verstappen at Turn 3, taking both cars out of the race. The collision ended Verstappen’s 31-race points streak, disappointing the legions of fans who had thronged to support him at the Red Bull-owned circuit.

    Behind the dominant McLarens, Ferrari’s Leclerc emerged as best of the rest, finishing a distant third for his fourth podium finish of the season. Teammate Lewis Hamilton followed in a lonely fourth place, with Mercedes’ George Russell rounding out the top five.

    Further down the order, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso both maximized one-stop strategies to score valuable points in sixth and seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto finished a strong weekend to score his first ever F1 points in eighth, ahead of Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg, while Esteban Ocon delivered the final point for Haas in tenth.

    In the updated Drivers’ championship standings, Piastri leads with 216 points, with Norris closing in on 201 and Verstappen remaining on 155.

    In the Constructors’ standings, McLaren’s total now stands at 417 points, with Ferrari moving up to second on 210, one point ahead of Mercedes.

    F1 now heads to Silverstone for next weekend’s British Grand Prix – a race that neither Norris nor Piastri has previously won.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Showcases AI Home Appliance Innovations at DA Global Tech Seminars Across Five Regions

    Source: Samsung

    From March to June, Samsung Electronics hosted Digital Appliances (DA) Global Tech Seminars across five regions — the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Southwest Asia — to showcase its latest innovations to audiences around the world. The seminars welcomed about 240 media representatives and tech influencers from 40 countries to experience Samsung’s latest AI home appliances firsthand and observe how the company is tailoring features to meet the unique needs of each region.1 Attendees also participated in Q&A sessions with product developers, who shared in-depth insights and explanations.
     
    Samsung Newsroom recaps each regional seminar with on-site highlights and photos.
     
     
    United States: Large-Capacity Washer-Dryers Win Praise for Practicality and Efficiency
    ▲ 2025 DA Global Tech Seminar held in the U.S.
     
    The U.S. Tech Seminar took place on March 18 at Samsung Home, a Bespoke AI experience space in SoHo, New York City — a neighborhood synonymous with art and creative living.
     
    American consumers tend to prioritize practicality and efficiency. Taking this into account, Samsung set up a dedicated experience zone for the large-capacity Bespoke AI Laundry Vented Combo, featuring a product cutaway mock-up that allowed visitors to intuitively understand the product’s core technologies and features. In addition, a live cooking demonstration showcased the AI capabilities of the Bespoke AI Oven, while the Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator — which boosts energy efficiency using a semiconductor-based Peltier module — also mesmerized guests.
     
     
    Europe: Bespoke AI Jet Ultra Takes Center Stage With Industry-Leading Suction Power
    ▲ 2025 DA Global Tech Seminar held in Germany
     
    On the same day, the European Tech Seminar kicked off in Frankfurt, Germany, at World of Samsung — a global showcase designed to provide an in-depth look at Samsung’s products.
     
    A key highlight was the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, which features the world’s most powerful suction for a cordless stick vacuum cleaner at 400W. Samsung developers gave presentations, offering insight into the vacuum cleaner’s high-performance engineering. The Bespoke AI Jet Ultra recently earned 4.5 out of 5 stars from U.K.-based review outlet Trusted Reviews and ranked first among 43 cordless vacuums tested by German IT outlet Chip.
     
     
    Latin America: SmartThings-Connected Home Appliances Growing at Twice the Global Rate
    ▲ 2025 DA Global Tech Seminar held in Mexico
     
    The Latin America Tech Seminar took place on June 3 in the vibrant metropolis of Mexico City, Mexico, drawing media and influencers from 13 countries to experience Samsung’s new lineup firsthand. Consumers in the region have shown high interest in connected living, with SmartThings-connected appliance adoption growing at more than twice the global average.2
     
    Reflecting this demand, demonstrations highlighted various features including Map View, Bixby, Routines — all easily accessible via SmartThings or the AI Home screen. Attendees also visited Sam’s House, a premium residential showroom where they engaged in hands-on interactions with Samsung’s connected products.
     
     
    Southeast Asia: AI Appliances Optimized for Hot, Humid Climates
    ▲ 2025 DA Global Tech Seminar held in Thailand
     
    On June 20, Samsung held the Southeast Asia Tech Seminar at a showroom in Bangkok, Thailand, where attendees explored the company’s latest products in settings simulating both commercial and residential spaces.
     
    Through demonstrations, attendees experienced how the Voice ID feature on the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator can recognize individual voices to deliver personalized responses. They also saw how Samsung is localizing AI home appliances to better suit Southeast Asia’s hot and humid climate — for example, the 1-Way Cassette system air conditioner and the Bespoke AI Top Load Washer. “The use of AI to enhance user experience and facilitate both usage and energy savings is particularly valuable and useful,” said Kemachad Gunpai of Future Trends Thailand who attended the seminar.
     
     
    Southwest Asia: AI-Powered, Efficient Cooling Solutions in the Spotlight
    ▲ 2025 DA Global Tech Seminar held in India
     
    Held on June 25 in Gurugram, India, the Southwest Asia Tech Seminar focused on SmartThings-connected solutions and energy-efficient features tailored to local preferences.
     
    Among the demonstrations were AI appliances responding to sleep patterns detected by motion sensors, alongside cooling solutions tailored for Indian consumers. Attendees also received detailed explanations on how to track energy usage via SmartThings, a particularly relevant feature amid rising electricity costs. Samsung employees also explained how each product operates in AI Energy Mode to maximize efficiency and minimize energy consumption.
     
    “Samsung will continue to develop and expand the Global Tech Seminars in ways that reflect the unique local characteristics of each region,” said Soohyuk Ro, Vice President and Head of Tech Insight Group at Digital Appliances (DA) Business, Samsung Electronics, as the seminars came to an end. “In doing so, we will provide even deeper insights into how Samsung’s AI Home and innovative AI appliances can bring meaningful benefits to daily life for everyone.”
     
     
    1 Product names and features mentioned in this article may vary by region.
    2 Based on internal data from Samsung, aggregated via BDC (BI & Analytics), reflecting the cumulative annual ratio of Wi-Fi-connected devices.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Giant baby Musk float in march for tax justice at UN summit in Sevilla: ‘Make rich polluters pay’

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – Greenpeace activists joined a civil society march today for Global Economic Justice, with a giant float of a baby Elon Musk holding a chainsaw threatening planet Earth. As the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) starts tomorrow in Sevilla, campaigners are calling on world leaders to advance commitments for new and fair global tax and debt rules, and to hold fossil fuel polluters accountable for climate and nature damages.[1] [2]

    The conference opens against a backdrop of intensifying conflicts, geopolitical tensions, rising inequality, and accelerating climate and environmental breakdown. The outcome document, the Compromiso de Sevilla, released ahead of the conference, does not go far enough. It delivers on some promises on international tax cooperation and encouraging taxes on environmental contamination and pollution. However, bold language on sovereign debt architecture reform was weakened by Global North governments during the negotiations, and the agreement falls short on responding to the urgency of the climate, nature and social crises.[3]

    Fred Njehu, Greenpeace Africa’s Global Political Lead for the Fair Share campaign,[4] said: “Sevilla is a rare opportunity for global economic justice and for urgent conversations on how billionaires and corporate polluters should pay their fair share of taxes to fund climate action, nature protection and social programmes. World leaders need to listen to what the public wants and deliver a tax system that works for all.”

    Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain and Portugal, said: “Multilateral cooperation is key to addressing global threats and resource gaps for global climate and economic justice. It must not become an excuse for more powerful governments, in the Global North or elsewhere, to water down ambition. We must put people over greed and listen to the voices rising from the streets – in Seville and all over the world. All governments must actively support the UN Tax Convention process and pursue real solutions to the debt crisis, so that we can finally begin to transfer resources away from polluters and the super-rich for the wellbeing of all people and especially for those who are suffering the most from the climate emergency.”

    Greenpeace demands reforms in international tax cooperation and public financing for sustainable development. Specifically: 

    • Endorsement of the UN Tax Convention process for just and equitable global tax rules, that make the super-rich pay their fair share and make corporate polluters, such as the fossil fuel industry, pay for their climate damages.
    • Explicit commitments from governments – via the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, and beyond – to remove fossil fuel production subsidies and introduce progressive taxes and fines on fossil fuel corporations, and other high emitting sectors. This builds on the FfD4 outcomes document’s endorsement of “taxes on environmental contamination and pollution.” The revenues should be used to pay for domestic climate action and international climate finance support  – in particular action to support communities to respond and recover from climate disasters.

    Rebecca Newsom, Global Political Lead for Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling, Start Paying campaign, said: “While fossil fuel-driven floods, storms, wildfires and droughts increasingly hit communities around the world, people are crying out for their governments to tax oil, gas and coal corporations to pay for climate-related loss and damage. So what are political leaders waiting for? They must seize the opportunity of Sevilla to make polluters pay – or face growing public anger for continuing to let dirty industries off the hook.”

    Hanen Keskes, Campaigns Lead at Greenpeace Middle East North Africa, said: “This is not the time to lack ambition as civil society is calling for urgent debt relief and structural reform. The burden of debt is undermining the most vulnerable countries’ ability to respond to climate, nature and social crises. Governments must show that they are ready to build a fairer and more sustainable future – one rooted in justice, not extraction.”

    ENDS

    Members of the Greenpeace delegation in Seville are available for interviews in Spanish, English, German, and Swahili.

    Photos and Videos can be downloaded via Greenpeace Media Library and will be updated throughout the conference. 

    Notes:

    [1] Greenpeace Spain’s float of Elon Musk measures 2 metres wide by 3.5 –  4 metres high.

    [2] The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture. FFD4 Conference will be held in FIBES Sevilla Exhibition and Conference Centre (30 June – 3 July 2025)

    [3] The Compromiso de Sevilla: Outcome | FFD4

    Contacts in Seville:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, Greenpeace International. +41-782530550, [email protected]  

    Begoña Rodríguez, Media Lead – Climate Responsibility Team, Greenpeace Spain & Portugal. +34 605248097, [email protected]

    Additional contacts: 

    Christine Gebeneter, EU Communication lead, Greenpeace CEE based in Austria, +43 664 8403807, [email protected] 

    Lee Kuen, Global Comms Lead – Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace International. +601112527489, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Video: International Business Forum – 4th International Conference on Financing for Development #FFD4

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    The International Business Forum (IBF) will open with a high-level gathering of Heads of State, ministers, CEOs, and global business leaders to explore solutions that unlock private finance and investments for sustainable development.  

    The opening of the IBF will set the tone for the importance of driving solutions that unlock private finance and investments for sustainable development. The session will feature welcome addresses by Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, followed by remarks from Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs and global business leaders. Speakers will include John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce; Shinta Kamdani, CEO of Sintesa Group and Co-Chair of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance; and José Viñals, GISD Co-Chair and Senior Advisor to the Board of Standard Chartered. BBC presenter Rajini Vaidyanathan will serve as the moderator. 

    More Info: https://financing.desa.un.org/FFD4/businessforum
    All the FFD4 events: https://webtv.un.org/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoV4sA6j7OE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.M. Don Felipe VI, King of Spain [scroll down for Spanish]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.M. King Felipe VI of Spain. They discussed ongoing efforts to advance the international financing for development agenda.

    The Secretary-General expressed his deep gratitude for Spain’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism and the UN system, as well as its leadership role in international cooperation and as a permanent bridge builder between the North and the South.

    ****

    El Secretario General se reunió con S.M. el Rey Felipe VI de España y ambos hablaron de los esfuerzos para avanzar en la agenda de la  financiación internacional para el desarrollo.

    El Secretario General expresó su profunda gratitud por el compromiso inquebrantable de España con el multilateralismo y con las Naciones Unidas, así como por su papel de liderazgo en la cooperación internacional y como constructor de puentes entre el Norte y el Sur.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Spain Men’s Team and Netherlands Women’s Team Win 2025 FIBA 3×3 World Cup

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    ULAN BATOR, June 29 (Xinhua) — The Spanish men’s team and the Netherlands women’s team won gold medals at the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Basketball World Cup, which concluded Sunday evening in the capital of Mongolia.

    The Spanish men’s team beat Switzerland 21-17 in the final, while the Dutch women’s team defeated Mongolia 15-9.

    The 9th 3×3 Basketball World Championship, held from June 23 to 29 in Ulaanbaatar, featured 20 men’s and 20 women’s teams. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanna Tervanotko, Associate professor, Religious Studies, McMaster University

    The Sola Busca tarot deck from Italy, circa 15th century. (Artist unknown), CC BY

    More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre.

    Even though the survey says these Americans are doing so “just for fun” and claim they rely on the information gained by divination “only a little,” the persistence — and apparent rise — of these practices suggests something deeper is at play.

    Tarot card: The High Priestess (Waite–Smith deck), c. 1909.
    (Pamela Colman Smith), CC BY

    People have always turned to divinatory methods to search for unanswered questions and to gain additional knowledge that could help them to prepare for the future, especially in times of uncertainty. For example, searches for “tarot cards” increased by more than 30 per cent during the pandemic.

    I study ancient divination, but to better understand how diviners work, I have observed contemporary diviners at work and talked with them about their practices. They say their clients request tarot consultations more frequently than they did in the past.

    What is divination?

    Anthropologists define “divination” methods as “practice(s) that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omen or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

    Divination methods, including tarot and astrology, offer a way to ask questions when other systems fail to provide answers. These questions can be highly personal and difficult to address in a formal religious setting. The divinatory answers allow people to feel they’ve gained insight, which in turn gives a perception of control over an uncertain future.

    Apart from astrology and tarot, some of the best known divination methods include: the interpreting of dreams, reading coffee cups or tea leaves, observing animals and nature, reading palms and other body features such as nose shape and eye placement.

    When a diviner uses things, such as cards, tea leaves, dice or shells, the connecting thread to many of these methods is that people cannot control the signs they produce. For example, divination consultants typically mix the tarot card deck to make sure the result are randomized. People should not manipulate the results.

    Divination as alternative ways of knowing

    Pew Centre data reveals that young people, women and LGBTQ Americans are among the most likely to consult divinatory methods. Religious studies professor Marcelitte Failla has also written about contemporary Black women who have reclaimed the tarot deck to creatively address their spiritual needs.

    Many people turn to religion when they face the unknown in their lives. They address their insecurities in worship, asking for divine help.

    But there have always been people who did not have access to organized religion. Divinatory practices can be especially appealing to those who have been excluded from traditional religion and had to come up with alternative ways to address uncertainties.

    They perhaps lived in remote areas and could not attend worship sites such as temples. Or possibly, they were excluded from organized religion for identity reasons. For example, women regularly stayed home to care for children and sick. Sometimes, they were denied access because of their bodily “impurities,” menstruation or recent childbirth.

    LGBTQ+ individuals were also denied access. In the U.S., discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals remains one of the leading reasons for leaving traditional religious institutions. In Canada, the churches’ discriminatory treatment of different sexual minorities has been one of the top reasons people dissolve membership.

    Divination in times of uncertainty

    In an age marked by ongoing anxiety, political instability and waning trust in institutions, centuries-old divination rituals offer alternative ways for folks to seek entertainment but also to gain a sense of insight, agency and connection. What may seem like harmless fun can also serve as a serious response to a chaotic world. Divinatory practices can provide both spiritual exploration and emotional validation.

    It’s understandable that a new situation, like the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered anxiety and uncertainty for people.

    People continue to experience more anxiety than they did before the pandemic. Some of the main concerns include world politics, job security and personal finances.

    As we try to make sense of the new, confusing and constantly changing situations, many create different theories, some questionable. Some people turn to alternative approaches like divination to make sense of the world.

    Tarot: Thinking through emotions

    People are checking out tarot readings on online platforms. And many social media accounts feature tarot.

    Besides increasing political insecurity, another reason for the increased interest in tarot may be the visual aspect. Increased interest in the decorated cards may be a reflection of our highly visual culture. Interest in the cards with images may reflect interest in other images we watch. They are like photos with messages.

    The fascination with tarot may also speak about a need to control the consultation as a diviner and their client see exactly the same thing. The images in the cards are also symbolic, and they can be interpreted in different ways.

    That means rather than providing a straightforward answer to a question, the cards are tools that can help think through one’s emotions and feelings.

    Tarot is not a religion. The object that is consulted is paper is not an image of the divine or a symbol of transcendence. This lack of alignment with any particular religion allows different people to consult tarot as a spiritual practice.

    In principle, the cards can be consulted anywhere without particular preparations. The only material one needs is a deck of cards. The accessible materiality may be adding to their popularity.

    Playful aspects of divination

    Many divinatory methods include a playful aspect. For instance, the objects used for the lot oracle — pebbles, stones, four-sided knucklebones or dice — are the same ones people used for playing board games.

    Ancient images show people consulting the objects or playing, suggesting the boundaries of some of the divinatory methods were always fluid.

    As randomizing is an important element of divinatory consultation, the new insights various methods produce can be both surprising and entertaining.

    Hanna Tervanotko receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us – https://theconversation.com/why-centuries-old-astrology-and-tarot-cards-still-appeal-to-us-258993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hanna Tervanotko, Associate professor, Religious Studies, McMaster University

    The Sola Busca tarot deck from Italy, circa 15th century. (Artist unknown), CC BY

    More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre.

    Even though the survey says these Americans are doing so “just for fun” and claim they rely on the information gained by divination “only a little,” the persistence — and apparent rise — of these practices suggests something deeper is at play.

    Tarot card: The High Priestess (Waite–Smith deck), c. 1909.
    (Pamela Colman Smith), CC BY

    People have always turned to divinatory methods to search for unanswered questions and to gain additional knowledge that could help them to prepare for the future, especially in times of uncertainty. For example, searches for “tarot cards” increased by more than 30 per cent during the pandemic.

    I study ancient divination, but to better understand how diviners work, I have observed contemporary diviners at work and talked with them about their practices. They say their clients request tarot consultations more frequently than they did in the past.

    What is divination?

    Anthropologists define “divination” methods as “practice(s) that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omen or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

    Divination methods, including tarot and astrology, offer a way to ask questions when other systems fail to provide answers. These questions can be highly personal and difficult to address in a formal religious setting. The divinatory answers allow people to feel they’ve gained insight, which in turn gives a perception of control over an uncertain future.

    Apart from astrology and tarot, some of the best known divination methods include: the interpreting of dreams, reading coffee cups or tea leaves, observing animals and nature, reading palms and other body features such as nose shape and eye placement.

    When a diviner uses things, such as cards, tea leaves, dice or shells, the connecting thread to many of these methods is that people cannot control the signs they produce. For example, divination consultants typically mix the tarot card deck to make sure the result are randomized. People should not manipulate the results.

    Divination as alternative ways of knowing

    Pew Centre data reveals that young people, women and LGBTQ Americans are among the most likely to consult divinatory methods. Religious studies professor Marcelitte Failla has also written about contemporary Black women who have reclaimed the tarot deck to creatively address their spiritual needs.

    Many people turn to religion when they face the unknown in their lives. They address their insecurities in worship, asking for divine help.

    But there have always been people who did not have access to organized religion. Divinatory practices can be especially appealing to those who have been excluded from traditional religion and had to come up with alternative ways to address uncertainties.

    They perhaps lived in remote areas and could not attend worship sites such as temples. Or possibly, they were excluded from organized religion for identity reasons. For example, women regularly stayed home to care for children and sick. Sometimes, they were denied access because of their bodily “impurities,” menstruation or recent childbirth.

    LGBTQ+ individuals were also denied access. In the U.S., discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals remains one of the leading reasons for leaving traditional religious institutions. In Canada, the churches’ discriminatory treatment of different sexual minorities has been one of the top reasons people dissolve membership.

    Divination in times of uncertainty

    In an age marked by ongoing anxiety, political instability and waning trust in institutions, centuries-old divination rituals offer alternative ways for folks to seek entertainment but also to gain a sense of insight, agency and connection. What may seem like harmless fun can also serve as a serious response to a chaotic world. Divinatory practices can provide both spiritual exploration and emotional validation.

    It’s understandable that a new situation, like the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered anxiety and uncertainty for people.

    People continue to experience more anxiety than they did before the pandemic. Some of the main concerns include world politics, job security and personal finances.

    As we try to make sense of the new, confusing and constantly changing situations, many create different theories, some questionable. Some people turn to alternative approaches like divination to make sense of the world.

    Tarot: Thinking through emotions

    People are checking out tarot readings on online platforms. And many social media accounts feature tarot.

    Besides increasing political insecurity, another reason for the increased interest in tarot may be the visual aspect. Increased interest in the decorated cards may be a reflection of our highly visual culture. Interest in the cards with images may reflect interest in other images we watch. They are like photos with messages.

    The fascination with tarot may also speak about a need to control the consultation as a diviner and their client see exactly the same thing. The images in the cards are also symbolic, and they can be interpreted in different ways.

    That means rather than providing a straightforward answer to a question, the cards are tools that can help think through one’s emotions and feelings.

    Tarot is not a religion. The object that is consulted is paper is not an image of the divine or a symbol of transcendence. This lack of alignment with any particular religion allows different people to consult tarot as a spiritual practice.

    In principle, the cards can be consulted anywhere without particular preparations. The only material one needs is a deck of cards. The accessible materiality may be adding to their popularity.

    Playful aspects of divination

    Many divinatory methods include a playful aspect. For instance, the objects used for the lot oracle — pebbles, stones, four-sided knucklebones or dice — are the same ones people used for playing board games.

    Ancient images show people consulting the objects or playing, suggesting the boundaries of some of the divinatory methods were always fluid.

    As randomizing is an important element of divinatory consultation, the new insights various methods produce can be both surprising and entertaining.

    Hanna Tervanotko receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. Why centuries-old astrology and tarot cards still appeal to us – https://theconversation.com/why-centuries-old-astrology-and-tarot-cards-still-appeal-to-us-258993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Beatrix Beisner, Professor, Aquatic ecology; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

    Plankton have inspired and influenced art, science and architecture. (Shutterstock)

    Not much attention is paid to plankton because these creatures are usually hidden from sight. They are mostly microscopic in size and live in aquatic environments, but human lives are intricately connected with plankton.

    The etymology of “plankton” originates from the ancient Greek word for “drifter.” Plankton refers to all organisms suspended in all types of waters (oceans, lakes, rivers and even groundwaters), including viruses, bacteria, insects, larval fish and jellyfish. Plankton come in many shapes and sizes, but what unites all of them is a tendency to drift with currents.



    Read more:
    Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth

    There are both plant (phytoplankton) and animal (zooplankton) types, as well as organisms that blur the line by belonging to both. These include carnivorous plants or photosynthesizing animals (mixoplankton).

    Phytoplankton are an essential part of aquatic ecosystems.
    (Shutterstock)

    Understanding plankton

    We are an international group of researchers working on plankton that inhabit aquatic waters from high alpine lakes to the deep oceans. We represent a much larger consortium of researchers (the Plankton Passionates) who have recently considered all the ways in which plankton are crucial for human well-being, society, activity and life on our planet.

    In our work, we have identified six broad themes that allow us to classify the value of plankton.

    Plankton are integral to the ecological functioning of all aquatic environments. For example, phytoplankton use photosynthesis to create biomass that is transferred throughout the ecosystem, much as plants and trees do on land. Phytoplankton are mostly eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn prime food for fish like sardines and herring. These small fish are fed upon by larger fish and birds. That means healthy food-web functioning is critically sustained by plankton.

    Plankton play a critical role in other ways that affect the ecological functioning of aquatic environments. Specifically, plankton affect the cycles of matter and the bio-geochemistry of their ecosystems. While phytoplankton use sunlight to grow and reproduce, they also move nutrients, oxygen and carbon around.

    Phytoplankton are an essential climate variable — studying them provides key indicators for planetary health and climate change — because they capture carbon dioxide (CO2). When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and these animals die and sink to the bottom of water bodies, this stores carbon away from the atmosphere to where it can no longer contribute to climate change; this process is known as the biological carbon pump.

    However, other plankton, primarily bacteria and fungi, are involved in decomposition of dead material that remains in the water column and their activity recycles chemical elements essential for other organisms. Together with the biological carbon pump, this decomposition activity can have global consequences in climate regulation.

    Fascinating research

    Plankton have also played a role in several human endeavours, including the evolution of science itself advancing many theoretical developments in ecology, such as the study of biodiversity. This diversity of plankton forms — including organisms that look like crystals or jewelry — have fascinated researchers.

    Jellyfish are plankton because they are carried by currents through the water.
    (Shutterstock)

    Several theories or frameworks used throughout ecology have emerged from studying plankton, but their applications go further. For example, Russian biologist Georgy Gause observed competition among plankton, leading to his competitive exclusion principle that’s now commonly applied in socioeconomic contexts.

    Breakthroughs and even Nobel Prizes (medicine) have stemmed from the study of plankton (jellyfish stings, advancing allergy studies. Similarly, research on freshwater ciliate telomeres and the use of fluorescent jellyfish proteins have contributed to further understanding of ageing and cancer.

    Certain plankton species are used as diagnostic tools in forensic science. Others are often used as models in biomedical and ecotoxicological research.

    Because of their foundational role in aquatic food webs, plankton are critical to many human economies. Many planktonic organisms are cultured directly for human consumption including jellyfish, krill, shrimp and copepod zooplankton.

    Virtually all protein in aquatic ecosystems comes from plankton. Some are used as supplements, such as spirulina powder or omega-3 vitamins from krill or copepods.

    Several plankton-derived compounds are highly prized in medicine, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, including some plankton toxins used for their immune-stimulating effects. Luciferases are a group of enzymes produced by bioluminescent organisms, including many marine plankton, and are also important in biomedical research.

    On the other hand, plankton can also lead to high economic costs when harmful algal blooms, like toxic red tides, occur along coastlines or cyanobacterial blooms arise in lakes.

    Plankton benefits for humans

    Finally, our research considers the role of plankton in human culture, recreation and well-being. Beyond their use as a food source and in medicine, plankton can be culturally important.

    Bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates create incredibly powerful nighttime displays in coastal regions, forming the basis for cultural events and tourist attractions. Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton present in all aquatic ecosystems, and their silica-rich skeletons have been used for flint tools during the Stone Age and as opal in jewelry.

    An illustration from the 1887 book ‘Report on the Radiolaria collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76.’
    (Illus. by E. Haeckel/engraving by A. Giltsch)

    The often strange structural forms of plankton have inspired architects and engineers, including the designers of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele and the former Monumental Gate (Porte Binet) in Paris. Plankton have inspired many artists, the first being biologist Ernst Haeckel.

    The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services adopted the Life Framework of Values. This framework centres living from, with, in and as nature as a position from which to inform policies around biodiversity and ecosystem services.

    Plankton are critical to all of these components. We all benefit from plankton due to their essential role in regulating aquatic habitats, their long-term involvement in climate regulation and the vital resources they provide to humanity.

    Humanity lives with plankton as their incredible diversity connects life across land and water and is one of the driving forces behind Earth’s ecological stability and ecosystem services that we value. Plankton are part of humanity’s living in nature, which emphasizes their vital role in our identity, lifestyles and culture.

    Plankton profoundly affect communities bordering water, but also those further away through plankton-inspired art and design. Finally, living as nature highlights the physical, mental and spiritual interconnectedness with the natural world.

    We need to better recognize the value of plankton as a resource, and as an essential part of stabilizing Earth systems and maintaining them for human well-being.

    Beatrix Beisner receives funding from NSERC. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plankton Research (Oxford University Press) and a member of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), an FRQNT-funded network.

    Maria Grigoratou receives funding from the NSF project WARMEM (OCE-1851866) and the EU-funded HORIZON Europe projects EU4OceanObs2.0 and BioEcoOcean (101136748) to Maria Grigoratou. Maria is now affiliated with the European Polar Board.

    Sakina-Dorothée Ayata receives funding from the European Commission (NECCTON, iMagine, Blue-Cloud2026 projects), the French National Research Agency (ANR, Traitzoo project), and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF).

    Susanne Menden-Deuer receives funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

    – ref. Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science – https://theconversation.com/plankton-can-investigate-crime-affect-the-climate-and-influence-science-252782

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Beatrix Beisner, Professor, Aquatic ecology; Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

    Plankton have inspired and influenced art, science and architecture. (Shutterstock)

    Not much attention is paid to plankton because these creatures are usually hidden from sight. They are mostly microscopic in size and live in aquatic environments, but human lives are intricately connected with plankton.

    The etymology of “plankton” originates from the ancient Greek word for “drifter.” Plankton refers to all organisms suspended in all types of waters (oceans, lakes, rivers and even groundwaters), including viruses, bacteria, insects, larval fish and jellyfish. Plankton come in many shapes and sizes, but what unites all of them is a tendency to drift with currents.



    Read more:
    Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth

    There are both plant (phytoplankton) and animal (zooplankton) types, as well as organisms that blur the line by belonging to both. These include carnivorous plants or photosynthesizing animals (mixoplankton).

    Phytoplankton are an essential part of aquatic ecosystems.
    (Shutterstock)

    Understanding plankton

    We are an international group of researchers working on plankton that inhabit aquatic waters from high alpine lakes to the deep oceans. We represent a much larger consortium of researchers (the Plankton Passionates) who have recently considered all the ways in which plankton are crucial for human well-being, society, activity and life on our planet.

    In our work, we have identified six broad themes that allow us to classify the value of plankton.

    Plankton are integral to the ecological functioning of all aquatic environments. For example, phytoplankton use photosynthesis to create biomass that is transferred throughout the ecosystem, much as plants and trees do on land. Phytoplankton are mostly eaten by zooplankton, which are in turn prime food for fish like sardines and herring. These small fish are fed upon by larger fish and birds. That means healthy food-web functioning is critically sustained by plankton.

    Plankton play a critical role in other ways that affect the ecological functioning of aquatic environments. Specifically, plankton affect the cycles of matter and the bio-geochemistry of their ecosystems. While phytoplankton use sunlight to grow and reproduce, they also move nutrients, oxygen and carbon around.

    Phytoplankton are an essential climate variable — studying them provides key indicators for planetary health and climate change — because they capture carbon dioxide (CO2). When phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and these animals die and sink to the bottom of water bodies, this stores carbon away from the atmosphere to where it can no longer contribute to climate change; this process is known as the biological carbon pump.

    However, other plankton, primarily bacteria and fungi, are involved in decomposition of dead material that remains in the water column and their activity recycles chemical elements essential for other organisms. Together with the biological carbon pump, this decomposition activity can have global consequences in climate regulation.

    Fascinating research

    Plankton have also played a role in several human endeavours, including the evolution of science itself advancing many theoretical developments in ecology, such as the study of biodiversity. This diversity of plankton forms — including organisms that look like crystals or jewelry — have fascinated researchers.

    Jellyfish are plankton because they are carried by currents through the water.
    (Shutterstock)

    Several theories or frameworks used throughout ecology have emerged from studying plankton, but their applications go further. For example, Russian biologist Georgy Gause observed competition among plankton, leading to his competitive exclusion principle that’s now commonly applied in socioeconomic contexts.

    Breakthroughs and even Nobel Prizes (medicine) have stemmed from the study of plankton (jellyfish stings, advancing allergy studies. Similarly, research on freshwater ciliate telomeres and the use of fluorescent jellyfish proteins have contributed to further understanding of ageing and cancer.

    Certain plankton species are used as diagnostic tools in forensic science. Others are often used as models in biomedical and ecotoxicological research.

    Because of their foundational role in aquatic food webs, plankton are critical to many human economies. Many planktonic organisms are cultured directly for human consumption including jellyfish, krill, shrimp and copepod zooplankton.

    Virtually all protein in aquatic ecosystems comes from plankton. Some are used as supplements, such as spirulina powder or omega-3 vitamins from krill or copepods.

    Several plankton-derived compounds are highly prized in medicine, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, including some plankton toxins used for their immune-stimulating effects. Luciferases are a group of enzymes produced by bioluminescent organisms, including many marine plankton, and are also important in biomedical research.

    On the other hand, plankton can also lead to high economic costs when harmful algal blooms, like toxic red tides, occur along coastlines or cyanobacterial blooms arise in lakes.

    Plankton benefits for humans

    Finally, our research considers the role of plankton in human culture, recreation and well-being. Beyond their use as a food source and in medicine, plankton can be culturally important.

    Bioluminescent marine dinoflagellates create incredibly powerful nighttime displays in coastal regions, forming the basis for cultural events and tourist attractions. Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton present in all aquatic ecosystems, and their silica-rich skeletons have been used for flint tools during the Stone Age and as opal in jewelry.

    An illustration from the 1887 book ‘Report on the Radiolaria collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-76.’
    (Illus. by E. Haeckel/engraving by A. Giltsch)

    The often strange structural forms of plankton have inspired architects and engineers, including the designers of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele and the former Monumental Gate (Porte Binet) in Paris. Plankton have inspired many artists, the first being biologist Ernst Haeckel.

    The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services adopted the Life Framework of Values. This framework centres living from, with, in and as nature as a position from which to inform policies around biodiversity and ecosystem services.

    Plankton are critical to all of these components. We all benefit from plankton due to their essential role in regulating aquatic habitats, their long-term involvement in climate regulation and the vital resources they provide to humanity.

    Humanity lives with plankton as their incredible diversity connects life across land and water and is one of the driving forces behind Earth’s ecological stability and ecosystem services that we value. Plankton are part of humanity’s living in nature, which emphasizes their vital role in our identity, lifestyles and culture.

    Plankton profoundly affect communities bordering water, but also those further away through plankton-inspired art and design. Finally, living as nature highlights the physical, mental and spiritual interconnectedness with the natural world.

    We need to better recognize the value of plankton as a resource, and as an essential part of stabilizing Earth systems and maintaining them for human well-being.

    Beatrix Beisner receives funding from NSERC. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plankton Research (Oxford University Press) and a member of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), an FRQNT-funded network.

    Maria Grigoratou receives funding from the NSF project WARMEM (OCE-1851866) and the EU-funded HORIZON Europe projects EU4OceanObs2.0 and BioEcoOcean (101136748) to Maria Grigoratou. Maria is now affiliated with the European Polar Board.

    Sakina-Dorothée Ayata receives funding from the European Commission (NECCTON, iMagine, Blue-Cloud2026 projects), the French National Research Agency (ANR, Traitzoo project), and the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF).

    Susanne Menden-Deuer receives funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and NASA.

    – ref. Plankton can investigate crime, affect the climate and influence science – https://theconversation.com/plankton-can-investigate-crime-affect-the-climate-and-influence-science-252782

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Clark warns in new Pacific book renewed nuclear tensions pose ‘existential threat to humanity’

    Asia Pacific Report

    Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has warned the country needs to maintain its nuclear-free policy as a “fundamental tenet” of its independent foreign policy in the face of gathering global storm clouds.

    Writing in a new book being published next week, she says “nuclear war is an existential threat to humanity. Far from receding, the threat of use of nuclear weapons is ever present.

    “The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists now sits at 89 seconds to midnight,” she says in the prologue to journalist and media academic David Robie’s book Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior.

    Writing before the US surprise attack with B-2 stealth bombers and “bunker-buster” bombs on three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, Clark says “the Middle East is a tinder box with the failure of the Iran nuclear deal and with Israel widely believed to possess nuclear weapons”.

    The Doomsday Clock references the Ukraine war theatre where “use of nuclear weapons has been floated by Russia”.

    Also, the arms control architecture for Europe is unravelling, leaving the continent much less secure. India and Pakistan both have nuclear arsenals, she says.

    “North Korea continues to develop its nuclear weapons capacity.”

    ‘Serious ramifications’
    Clark, who was also United Nations Development Programme administrator from 2009 to 2017, a member of The Elders group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, and is an advocate for multilateralism and nuclear disarmament, says an outright military conflict between China and the United States “would be one between two nuclear powers with serious ramifications for East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and far beyond.”

    She advises New Zealand to be wary of Australia’s decision to enter a nuclear submarine purchase programme with the United States.

    “There has been much speculation about a potential Pillar Two of the AUKUS agreement which would see others in the region become partners in the development of advanced weaponry,” Clark says.

    “This is occurring in the context of rising tensions between the United States and China.

    “Many of us share the view that New Zealand should be a voice for de-escalation, not for enthusiastic expansion of nuclear submarine fleets in the Pacific and the development
    of more lethal weaponry.”

    Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior . . . publication July 2025. Image: Little Island Press

    In the face of the “current global turbulence, New Zealand needs to reemphasise the principles and values which drove its nuclear-free legislation and its advocacy for a nuclear-free South Pacific and global nuclear disarmament.

    Clark says that the years 1985 – the Rainbow Warrior was bombed by French secret agents on 10 July 1985 — and 1986 were critical years in the lead up to New Zealand’s nuclear-free legislation in 1987.

    “New Zealanders were clear – we did not want to be defended by nuclear weapons. We wanted our country to be a force for diplomacy and for dialogue, not for warmongering.”

    Chronicles humanitarian voyage
    The book Eyes of Fire chronicles the humanitarian voyage by the Greenpeace flagship to the Marshall Islands to relocate 320 Rongelap Islanders who were suffering serious community health consequences from the US nuclear tests in the 1950s.

    The author, Dr David Robie, founder of the Pacific Media Centre at Auckland University of Technology, was the only journalist on board the Rainbow Warrior in the weeks leading up to the bombing.

    His book recounts the voyage and nuclear colonialism, and the transition to climate justice as the major challenge facing the Pacific, although the “Indo-Pacific” rivalries between the US, France and China mean that geopolitical tensions are recalling the Cold War era in the Pacific.

    Dr Robie is also critical of Indonesian colonialism in the Melanesian region of the Pacific, arguing that a just-outcome for Jakarta-ruled West Papua and also the French territories of Kanaky New Caledonia and “French” Polynesia are vital for peace and stability in the region.

    Eyes of Fire is being published by Little Island Press, which also produced one of his earlier books, Don’t Spoil My Beautiful Face: Media, Mayhem and Human Rights in the Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Resources for a better world #FFD4 | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Building a better world takes more than good will – it takes investments in people, the planet and progress. World leaders gather in Sevilla, Spain to take up the challenge of securing resources to turn pledges into reality. On the eve of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, officials call it the chance to renew commitments and achieve lasting change.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vv4tzDi3A2c

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa to participate at international development finance summit in Spain

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Sunday, June 29, 2025

    International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Minister, Ronald Lamola will lead South Africa’s delegation to the 4th International Conference on the Financing for Development Summit, scheduled to take place in Seville, Spain, from 30 June – 3 July 2025.  

    The conference is convened at the invitation of President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón of the Government of Spain and United Nations Secretary – General António Guterres. 

    In a statement on Saturday, The Presidency said the conference aims to address new and emerging issues in financing for development, including the need to fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reform the international financial architecture.

    “President Ramaphosa has delegated Minister Lamola as the Head of Delegation for the Summit following recent political developments that require close monitoring and management in the country. 

    “South Africa’s participation at the Summit aligns with its G20 Presidency objectives of solidarity, equality and sustainability in complementing and supporting the Summits’ goals of reshaping the global financial system in support of the Sustainable Development Goals,” the Presidency said. 

    On the margins of the 4th Financing for Development Summit, South Africa will convene a side event under the theme: “Forging a common agenda to achieve debt sustainability in developing economies”.
     
    South Africa seeks to advance through cooperation and collaboration, sustainable solutions to tackle high structural deficits and liquidity challenges, and to extend debt relief to developing economies which disproportionately affects countries in Africa.  

    The side event will bring together leading voices from various debt-related initiatives to identify synergies and areas of convergence. It will seek consensus and highlight solutions that enjoy broad support.

    South Africa’s delegation to the 4th International Conference on the Financing for Development Summit comprises the Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Maropene Ramokgopa, Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo, and senior government officials. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Annual Eritrean Community Festival in Italy


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    The annual Eritrean community festival in Italy was officially opened by Mr. Fesehatsion Petros in Milano under the theme “Our Cohesion – Our Armour.” The opening event was attended by a large number of nationals and friends of Eritrea.

    The festival, taking place on 28 and 29 June, features a photo exhibition, cultural and artistic programs, a fashion show of traditional Eritrean clothing, and seminars, among other activities.

    A seminar focusing on educational progress in Eritrea, as well as the expansion of educational facilities, will be organized during the event.

    Cultural and artistic performances by a cultural troupe from Eritrea will also be presented, adding vibrant color to the festivities.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Solaris Presale Surges Past $5M as Phase 9 Begins, Offering Early Investors a 150% Upside Before July Launch

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TALLINN, Estonia, June 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S), the next-generation blockchain platform focused on scalability and real-world utility, has crossed a major milestone in its ongoing presale—raising over $5 million as it enters Phase 9. With the token price now at $9 and a public launch target of $20, early investors are eyeing a potential 150% gain before the scheduled launch in just under six weeks. Amidst ongoing crypto market volatility, Bitcoin Solaris is emerging as a rare opportunity grounded in technical innovation, sustainability, and long-term value creation.

    Introducing Bitcoin Solaris: Crypto Stability Meets Next-Gen Design

    Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S) is designed to offer scalability, energy efficiency, and everyday accessibility without sacrificing decentralization. By integrating a hybrid consensus model with cross-chain functionality and smart contract support, it delivers the tools needed for a sustainable and high-performance blockchain ecosystem.

    One of the standout features is the dual-consensus architecture that merges Proof-of-Work for base-level security with Delegated Proof-of-Stake for speed and efficiency. This hybrid ensures that BTC-S remains secure while still handling up to 100,000 transactions per second on the Solaris Layer.

    What Makes Bitcoin Solaris Technically Superior

    The strength of BTC-S lies in its layered infrastructure. Let’s break it down:

    • Base Layer (PoW): Uses SHA-256, ensures security, and anchors validator data
    • Solaris Layer (DPoS): Processes blocks in 15 seconds, rotates validators daily, and enforces slashing for bad actors
    • Smart Contracts: Rust-based, compatible with Solana tools, and optimized for dApps and DeFi
    • Security: Defenses include 51% attack resistance, Byzantine fault tolerance, and optional zero-knowledge proofs
    • Scalability: Supports up to 3,000 TPS on the Base Layer and 100,000 TPS on the Solaris Layer

    These features enhance performance and ensure long-term sustainability and growth.

    Real Utility Across Multiple Industries

    Bitcoin Solaris isn’t just theory. Its architecture is built to support:

    • DeFi platforms, lending markets, and high-speed DEXs
    • Tokenized real estate and digital ID systems
    • Healthcare apps, educational certifications, and supply chain solutions
    • Gaming ecosystems, NFT marketplaces, and content monetization

    With such a vast application layer, BTC-S is more than a coin—it’s an ecosystem ready to support global infrastructure.

    The Rewards System: Designed for Inclusion and Long-Term Value

    Bitcoin Solaris uses an inclusive reward system that balances incentives across all key roles in the ecosystem:

    • 40% of rewards go to miners securing the Base Layer
    • 25% to validators on the Solaris Layer
    • 20% to stakers supporting network stability
    • 10% funds development for future growth
    • 5% supports community initiatives

    This dynamic approach evaluates factors like device type, network contribution, and user longevity. It ensures that rewards flow to those adding the most value.
    More details about the system can be seen through the official documentation.

    Market Voices Are Taking Notice

    A growing number of influencers are calling Bitcoin Solaris one of the most exciting projects of 2025. One detailed review by Token Empire breaks down why this hybrid model is capturing serious attention. Across Telegram chats and Twitter threads, more investors are highlighting BTC-S for its real-world potential and inclusive design.

    Presale Performance Signals Massive Potential

    Investors are acting fast. The presale is now in phase 9, with the current price at $9 and a launch target of $20 a 150% upside for early believers. Over $5 million has been raised, and momentum continues to grow.

    • Bonus currently sits at 7%
    • Less than 6 weeks remain before launch
    • Over 12,300 users have joined
    • One of the shortest and most explosive presales this cycle

    This is not just a token drop – it’s a timed opportunity. One of the most talked-about presales across influencer platforms and audit trackers.

    And yes, both Cyberscope and Freshcoins have completed extensive audits, making this one of the best-reviewed launches of 2025.

    Final Verdict

    Bitcoin Solaris doesn’t follow market hype—it rewrites the rulebook. At a time when most cryptocurrencies ride volatile waves, BTC-S is anchoring its value in real utility, community-driven validation, and inclusive mining. It offers something many thought was no longer possible in 2025: a fair shot at crypto wealth for the average investor.

    For more information on Bitcoin Solaris:
    Website: https://www.bitcoinsolaris.com/
     Telegram: https://t.me/Bitcoinsolaris
     X (Twitter): https://x.com/BitcoinSolaris

    Media Contact
    Xander Levine
    press@bitcoinsolaris.com
    Press Kit: Available upon request

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Bitcoin Solaris. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b78384e-7ab7-408e-8ca0-be919e1a3dfc
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/be805bab-aa01-4a06-9e50-6776ba54dd4f
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    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ff1b0b33-55bf-46a3-9acc-1ceb34f24dc7

    The MIL Network –

  • Iran says 71 killed in Israeli strike on Evin Prison

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israel’s attack on the Evin Prison in Iran’s capital Tehran on June 23 killed 71 people, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said on Sunday.

    At the end of an air war with Iran, Israel struck Tehran’s most notorious jail for political prisoners, in a demonstration that it was expanding its targets beyond military and nuclear sites to aim at symbols of Iran’s ruling system.

    “In the attack on Evin prison, 71 people were martyred including administrative staff, youth doing their military service, detainees, family members of detainees who were visiting them and neighbours who lived in the prison’s vicinity,” Jahangir said in remarks carried on the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan.

    Jahangir had previously said that part of Evin prison’s administrative building had been damaged in the attack and people were killed and injured. The judiciary added that remaining detainees had been transferred to other prisons in Tehran province.

    Evin prison holds a number of foreign nationals, including two French citizens detained for three years.

    “The strike targeting Evin prison in Tehran, put our citizens Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris in danger. It is unacceptable,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had said on social media X after the attack.

    (Reuters)